Inhibition of xanthine oxidase by allopurinol: its lack of effect on models of inflammation.

and 'lupus like' disease: association with anti-phospholipid antibodies. Leucopenia after gold and sulphasalazine treatment Sir: I read the interesting report by Bliddal and colleagues of three patients who developed leucopenia after both gold and sulphasalazine treatment.' HLA-DR3 as a marker for toxic reactions after treatment with gold or D-penicillamine could not be shown. Patient 1, however, was apparently a carrier of HLA-B27. It is well known that female patients with rheumatoid arthritis, who are HLA-B27 positive , have a significantly higher risk for drug induced agranulocytosis, not only after treatment with levamisole2 3 but also with other antirheumatic drugs.4 Thus under these conditions the possibility should be considered that in this patient, in the absence of HLA-D3, HLA-B27 may be the risk indicator for her relapsing leucopenia. types in patients with rheumatoid arthritis developing leucopenia after both gold and sulphasalazine treatment.