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Adverse Effects of Arthritis Drugs

by Medindia Content Team on Jan 23 2008 8:44 PM

Scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center have confirmed that powerful drugs used to treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis have a deep and unascertained effect on the immune system.

Drugs such as Enbrel, Humira and Remicade known as anti-TNF compounds –affect our B cells, which play a significant role in many autoimmune diseases.

The anti-TNF compounds drugs improve the health of patients in a magnificent way by removing the abnormal B cell activity.

Ignacio Sanz, M.D., professor of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology, leading the research opine that the efficacy of the drug is determined by the results produced by the drugs and the safety standards of the medicine. The anti-TNF compounds drugs satisfy the above mentioned criteria.

The drugs have radically changed the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Sanz added that the dynamics of these medications haven’t been understood even though millions of patients have been treated with these medications.

Sanz ‘s team discovered that Anti-TNF drugs dislocate the architecture of structures in our lymph system called germinal centres, which are a preparation ground for immune cells.

The team found that the drug inhibit the function and organization of cells known as follicular dendritic cells, which help form the germinal centres.

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Of the 45 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 22 healthy adults some of them were experimented with etanercept (Enbrel) others received an older medication, methotrexate; and few others received both.

The anti-TNF medication reduced the percentage of memory B cells in the lymph tissue by about 40 percent in patients. The patients had one-quarter the number of germinal centres as other arthritis patients and the germinal centres were smaller and less organized.

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“Sanz team found out that the anti-TNF compounds decrease the number of faulty B cells by disrupting the formation of the network of Follicular dendritic cells that binds together the germinal centers.

This pioneering study published in the Jan. 15 issue of the Journal discovers how anti-TNF compounds affect B cells in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Source-Medindia
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