Slow acting antirheumatic drugs in patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis--evaluated in a randomized, parallel 50-week clinical trial.

Seventy-two consecutive patients with pauciarticular and polyarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) were randomized into a parallel 50-week open, controlled, comparative trial of hydroxychloroquine (HC), gold sodium thiomalate (GSTM) and D-penicillamine (PEN). Similar improvement of disease activity measurements and reduction of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate were seen in all 3 groups. No HC treated, 3 GSTM treated and 6 PEN treated patients were withdrawn because of adverse reactions. The results of our study indicate that HC is better tolerated than GSTM and especially PEN, but that the drugs are comparable with regard to efficacy in patients with pauciarticular and polyarticular JRA.