Abstract
Several years ago it was shown that rheumatoid factor molecules were split in vitro by the thiol penicillamine1. This was the rationale behind the original attempts to use penicillamine in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis2. Although later studies have clearly shown that this simple mechanism does not operate in vivo, it was found that penicillamine was an antirheumatic drug3 which offers an alternative to gold compounds which, despite their high toxicity, have been used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis for over 50 years. In clinical laboratories and rheumatological centres there has consequently been an increasing interest in the biological effects of thiols in general and of penicillamine in particular. Recently another thiol, thiopyridoxin4,5 has been shown to posses antirheumatic properties. From the numerous scientific articles published during the last years, it appears that the thiol group may play important roles in the unlocking of the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis.
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© 1980 Plenum Press, New York
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Jellum, E., Munthe, E. (1980). Biochemical and Clinical Effects of Penicillamine and Other Thiols Used in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. In: Cavallini, D., Gaull, G.E., Zappia, V. (eds) Natural Sulfur Compounds. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3045-5_32
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3045-5_32
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-3047-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-3045-5
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