[Are antinuclear factors a contraindication for penicillamine treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis? (author's transl)].

28 patients with rheumatoid arthritis undergoing treatment with penicillamine were investigated over a period of 7 to 72 months. Antinuclear antibodies were detected in 43% of patients before treatment, and 39% when treatment was completed. In all patients anti-native DNA antibodies were within the normal range. Precipitating antibodies to heat-denatured DNA were detected in 3 out of 16 patients at the end of therapy. There was no correlation between the detection of antinuclear antibodies, antibodies to native or denatured DNA and the occurrence of immunological side effects due to penicillamine (1 patient with pemphigus erythematosus, 3 patients with immune-complex nephritis).