EFFECTS OF ORAL-ADMINISTRATION OF TYPE-II COLLAGEN ON RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS

Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory synovial disease thought to in volve T cells reacting to an antigen within the joint. Type II collage n is the major protein in articular cartilage and is a potential autoa ntigen in this disease. Oral tolerization to autoantigens suppresses a nimal models of T cell-mediated autoimmune disease, including two mode ls of rheumatoid arthritis. In this randomized, double-blind trial inv olving 60 patients with severe, active rheumatoid arthritis, a decreas e in the number of swollen joints and tender joints occurred in subjec ts fed chicken type II collagen for 3 months but not in those that rec eived a placebo. Four patients in the collagen group had complete remi ssion of the disease. No side effects were evident. These data demonst rate clinical efficacy of an oral tolerization approach for rheumatoid arthritis.