The outcome of attempts to continue treatment indefinitely with either gold, penicillamine, sulphasalazine, or dapsone was studied in 240 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The usual reason for discontinuing treatment was the occurrence of an adverse effect. This led to 53% of patients stopping gold, 33% sulphasalazine, 32% penicillamine, and 17% dapsone. The next most frequent reason was...

D-penicillamine-associated bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) is a rare but well-known pulmonary complication in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or progressive systemic sclerosis. It has been assumed that in most, if not all cases, BO is a complication of the underlying disease rather than a side-effect of treatment. We report the case of a 46 year old man with scleroderma localized to his lower ...

A case of dermatomyositis developing during the course of treatment with D-penicillamine in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis is described. Complete remission occurred on withdrawal of the drug. Possible alternative diagnoses are discussed.

A long-term study is being undertaken to classify drugs used as specific agents in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in terms of their effects on biochemical and clinical characteristics of the disease. In particular is hoped to establish those indices which are most relevant to the response of RA to treatment. Fifteen patients were treated with D-penicillamine after an initial period of 2 ...

Sodium bis(L-cysteinato)zincate(II) hexahydrate (1) and bis(0-ethvl-L-cysteinato)zinc(II) (2) have been prepared from respectively alkaline (pH > 1 1 ) and neutral aqueous solutions and their structures determined by X-ray structural analysis. N ,S-coordination of the Zn atoms with the formation of two five-membered chelate rings is observed for both com plexes. The deprotonated carboxylate gro...