Effect of heparin therapy on the clinical and laboratory indicators in rheumatoid arthritis
Murav'ev, I.V.; Kritskova, I.N.
Terapevticheskii Arkhiv 52(11): 126-129
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0040-3660 PMID: 7466640 Document Number: 154306
The therapeutic effect of heparin was studied in 40 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The results showed that i.m. administration of heparin decreased synovitis connected with rheumatoid arthritis while having an effect on quick-acting antirheumatic drugs. The basis for the therapeutic effect of heparin lies in its antiinflammatory action, which was confirmed by positive clinical findings of the inflammatory process in affected joints and by the normalization of the level of glycosaminoglycans in the urine after conclusion of heparin therapy. The analgesic effect of heparin was slight. The marked antiinflammatory effect of heparin can be attributed to activation of fibrinolysis, which ordinarily leads to a decrease in fibrin deposits in the foci of inflammation. An additional mechanism of heparin's therapeutic action concerns its effects on the immunopathological process connected with competition with complement for a binding site in immune complexes. Heparin was recommended for wider use in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Special indications for the use of this drug are a reduction in fibrinolytic activity in the blood and a marked decrease in the level of complement in the synovial fluid.