Immunological effects of Biarison in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. A preliminary report.

In two different double-blind studies (Study 1: 27 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis in an early phase, and Study 2: 20 selected patients with rheumatoid arthritis and acute knee effusion) the efficacy of Biarison, a new non-steroidal antiinflammatory agent was compared with that of indomethacin. The daily dose of Biarison was 600-900 mg and that of indomethacin 50-100 mg. Overall clinical improvement was observed in both treatment groups, but the two treatments differ in their effects on the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and the immunoglobulin levels in both serum and synovial fluid. In the Biarison group there was a significant decrease in ESR and serum IgG, IgM and IgA. Biarison has also been used in the treatment of active SLE (Study 3), and a good clinical improvement was noticed in 5 out of 8 patients. These preliminary results suggest that Biarison may influence the immunological processes in both rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.