Biomaterial Database

Treating rheumatoid arthritis with new disease modifying drugs. 2002

M Aringer, and W B Graninger

Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University Vienna. martin.aringer@akh-wien.ac.at

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a serious illness that can only be controlled by the appropriate use of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). In spite of the successful use of such substances, and of methotrexate in particular, a large number of patients still experience disease progression. Leflunomide and the two anti-TNF agents, infliximab and etanercept, were therefore warmly greeted as very welcome additions to the rheumatologist's armamentarium. These successful newcomers, their strengths and problems are the focus of the present review.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007555	Isoxazoles	Azoles with an OXYGEN and a NITROGEN next to each other at the 1,2 positions, in contrast to OXAZOLES that have nitrogens at the 1,3 positions.	Isoxazole
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000077339	Leflunomide	An isoxazole derivative that inhibits dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, the fourth enzyme in the pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway. It is used an immunosuppressive agent in the treatment of RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS and PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS.	Arava,HWA 486,HWA-486,N-(4-Trifluoromethyphenyl)-5-methylisoxazole-4-carboxamide,SU101,HWA486
D000276	Adjuvants, Immunologic	Substances that augment, stimulate, activate, potentiate, or modulate the immune response at either the cellular or humoral level. The classical agents (Freund's adjuvant, BCG, Corynebacterium parvum, et al.) contain bacterial antigens. Some are endogenous (e.g., histamine, interferon, transfer factor, tuftsin, interleukin-1). Their mode of action is either non-specific, resulting in increased immune responsiveness to a wide variety of antigens, or antigen-specific, i.e., affecting a restricted type of immune response to a narrow group of antigens. The therapeutic efficacy of many biological response modifiers is related to their antigen-specific immunoadjuvanticity.	Immunoactivators,Immunoadjuvant,Immunoadjuvants,Immunologic Adjuvant,Immunopotentiator,Immunopotentiators,Immunostimulant,Immunostimulants,Adjuvant, Immunologic,Adjuvants, Immunological,Immunologic Adjuvants,Immunological Adjuvant,Adjuvant, Immunological,Immunological Adjuvants
D001172	Arthritis, Rheumatoid	A chronic systemic disease, primarily of the joints, marked by inflammatory changes in the synovial membranes and articular structures, widespread fibrinoid degeneration of the collagen fibers in mesenchymal tissues, and by atrophy and rarefaction of bony structures. Etiology is unknown, but autoimmune mechanisms have been implicated.	Rheumatoid Arthritis
D014409	Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha	Serum glycoprotein produced by activated MACROPHAGES and other mammalian MONONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTES. It has necrotizing activity against tumor cell lines and increases ability to reject tumor transplants. Also known as TNF-alpha, it is only 30% homologous to TNF-beta (LYMPHOTOXIN), but they share TNF RECEPTORS.	Cachectin,TNF-alpha,Tumor Necrosis Factor Ligand Superfamily Member 2,Cachectin-Tumor Necrosis Factor,TNF Superfamily, Member 2,TNFalpha,Tumor Necrosis Factor,Cachectin Tumor Necrosis Factor,Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha