Effect of acetylsalicylic acid and dexamethasone on antibody production in adjuvant arthritis.

The production of antibodies to IgG and type II collagen occurs in a similar fashion in human rheumatoid arthritis and adjuvant arthritis. In this study, the effect of dexamethasone (DXT) and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) on antibody synthesis was analysed. Daily treatment with DXT (0.3 mg/kg per day p.o.) or with ASA (200 mg/kg per day p.o.) from day 14 to day 56 after arthritis induction inhibited both the synthesis of antibodies to IgG and type II collagen and also the humoral immune response to the mycobacteria that induced the disease. The immunosuppressive response was similar for both drugs: DXT, which is known to suppress the immune response, and ASA, a classical anti-inflammatory agent.