Evaluation of D-penicillamine in juvenile chronic arthritis. A double-blind, multicenter study.

Seventy-four children with juvenile chronic arthritis were entered into a 6-month, multicenter, comparative double-blind study of the efficacy of D-penicillamine versus placebo. The results were evaluated in 70 patients, 55 of whom completed 6 months of the study. Improvement was observed in the total number of stiff joints, total number of painful joints, and total severity index measuring joint pain. There was also a significant reduction in the concurrent use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. D-penicillamine was well-tolerated in all but 2 patients. Some children in the placebo group exhibited definite improvement; however, relapses that were observed were mainly in that group. These results confirm the efficacy of D-penicillamine for the treatment of joint involvement in juvenile chronic arthritis.