A PILOT TRIAL OF ORAL TYPE-II COLLAGEN IN THE TREATMENT OF JUVENILE RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

Objective. To evaluate the efficacy of oral chicken type II collagen ( CCII) in the treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). Methods . Ten patients with active JRA were treated with CCII for 12 weeks, Ef ficacy parameters, which included swollen and tender joint count and s core, grip strength, 50-foot walking time, duration of morning stiffne ss, and patient and physician global scores of disease severity, were assessed monthly. Results. All patients completed the full course of t herapy, Eight patients had reductions in both swollen and tender joint counts after 3 months of CCII. The mean changes from baseline in swol len and tender joint counts for the 8 responders at the end of the stu dy were -61% and -54%, respectively. Mean values for other efficacy pa rameters also showed improvement from baseline. There were no adverse events that were considered to be treatment related. Conclusion. Oral CCII may be a safe and effective therapy for JRA, and its use in this disease warrants further investigation.