Therapeutic effect of intradermal injections with difucosyl lactosamine (dimeric Lex) on patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Ochi, T.; Hakomori, S.; Fujimoto, M.; Okamura, M.; Owaki, H.; Wakitani, S.; Shimaoka, Y.; Hayashida, K.; Tomita, T.; Kawamura, S.
Journal of Rheumatology 20(12): 2038-2045
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0315-162X PMID: 7912285 Document Number: 422249
As reported by us, a new myeloid cell population with an oncofetal membrane marker, dimeric Le-x (di-Le-x; III-3FucV-3 FucnLc6), was found in the epiphyseal bone marrow adjacent to the involved joints of patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Patients with RA received intradermal (id) injections of di-Le-x incorporated in liposome or of high molecular weight glycoprotein, or tumor associated carbohydrate antigen (TCA), containing the same carbohydrate epitope as di-Le-x. The epiphyseal myeloid cells were reduced or sometimes eliminated during id injection. In random trials of id injection, observation under clinical and laboratory conditions showed improvement in 63% (17/27) of the patients treated for 6 months with appropriate doses of di-Le-x (III-3FucnLc4), and in 72% (31/43) of those treated with an identical protocol for TCA. However, id injection with monomeric Le-x had no effect.