Gold salts and somatostatin: a new combined analgesic treatment for psoriatic arthritis

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Somatostatin in the context of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in this randomized controlled trial publication.

In a group of patients affected with psoriatic arthritis the effects of the association between gold salts (GS) and somatostatin (SOM), in comparison with two groups treated with SOM and GS respectively, were investigated.

Sixty patients with psoriatic arthritis were selected and randomly allocated in three groups of twenty patients each.

Who Took Part

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were adults, middle-aged adults and older adults, both men and women.

Group 1 received SOM infusion (a set amount/h for 96 h) and was assessed at baseline and 1, 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 days after; Group 2 received intramuscular GS and was assessed at baseline, four months later, and then every month for four months; Group 3 received GS for 8 months; at the fourth month SOM was infused (as in Group 1) and the patients assessed at baseline four months later and then as Group 1.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized study.

The participants were allocated by chance, so the Somatostatin group and the comparison group should start out alike.

The methods mention a period of four months.

What Was Measured

Assessment was made with the Ritchie index, pain scale and morning stiffness evaluation.

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Antirheumatic Agents, Arthritis, Psoriatic, Circadian Rhythm, Growth Hormone, Organogold Compounds, Pain and Pain Measurement.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized study of Somatostatin in people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis over four months.

The publication is from 1992 (Drugs under experimental and clinical research), a journal based in Switzerland.

More context: the Somatostatin compound page, Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis research.