RESEARCH - Effects of glucosamine administration on patients with RA

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Rheumatol Int. 2007 Jan;27(3):213-8. Epub 2006 Sep 5.

Effects of glucosamine administration on patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Nakamura H, Masuko K, Yudoh K, Kato T, Kamada T, Kawahara T.

Department of Joint Disease and Rheumatism, Nippon Medical School,

1-1-5, Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8603, Japan.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether glucosamine has an

antirheumatic effect in a randomized placebo-controlled study. The

subjects were 51 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients: 25 patients in

the glucosamine group and 26 patients in the placebo group.

Glucosamine hydrochloride at a daily dose of 1,500 mg and placebo,

respectively, were administered for 12 weeks along with conventional

medication. While significant improvement was not found in joint

counts and in the rate of ACR20 responders, the face scale and a

visual analogue scale pain were significantly in favor of the

glucosamine group. ESR and CRP levels did not change, but serum MMP-3

levels decreased in the glucosamine group. Results of the patients'

self-evaluations and the physicians' global evaluations indicated that

the glucosamine treatment produced noticeable improvements in

symptoms. Although glucosamine administration had no antirheumatic

effect evaluated by conventional measures, it seemed to have some

symptomatic effects on RA.

PMID: 16953394

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16953394

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