PLASMA AND SYNOVIAL-FLUID INTERLEUKIN-1, INTERLEUKIN-6 AND SUBSTANCE-P CONCENTRATIONS IN RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS PATIENTS - EFFECT OF THE NONSTEROIDAL ANTIINFLAMMATORY DRUGS INDOMETHACIN, DICLOFENAC AND NAPROXEN

We performed an open, between patients, placebo controlled study in or der to evaluate the effect of the treatment with the non steroidal ant i inflammatory drugs indomethacin, diclofenac and naproxen on the conc entrations of the cytokines IL-1 beta and IL-6 and of the neuropeptide substance P in plasma and synovial fluid of 24 rheumatoid arthritis p atients. All patients had high synovial fluid cytokine and substance P levels, and high plasma cytokine levels at the beginning of the study . The treatment with the non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs signifi cantly decreased both plasma and synovial fluid IL-6 and synovial flui d substance P in comparison to placebo, but did not affect IL-1 beta c oncentrations. This effect can participate in the therapeutic effect o f non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs in rheumatoid arthritis.