Another post from Hobb on Cytoxan/ Imuan studies etc

[Guest guest]

bj: Vasculitis drug study in Europe

Date: 5/12/02 10:28:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

From: <A HREF= " mailto:Hob " >Hob</A>

To: <A HREF= " mailto:RCColloran " >RCColloran</A>

File: Cytoxan replacement.txt (45641 bytes)

DL Time (26400 bps): < 1 minute

,

I was surfing the JHU vasculitis center web site (Keyword: 's Hopkins

Vasculitis) and clicked on a link to the EUVAS site -- European Vasculitis

Study group. The group specializes in patients with ANCA positive

vasculitis but that does not mean the their studies are not also valid for RP

patients. Especially for RP patients who have vasculitis of some sort along

with RP....like me.

I have to take cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) because of my vasculitis. Any

other patients on the list who are taking Cytoxan would be interested in

several clinical trials that are documented at that site.

One is to see if azathioprine (IMURAN) can maintain remission once it is

achieved with Cytoxan. The study has been going on since 1995 and so far

it looks like IMURAN will do the job for a majority of ANCA-positive patients.

There are other studies for different drugs for people who have auto-immune

kidney problems with one or the other being used depending on the severity of

the problem.

Anyone who is interested should go to the site, click on Trial protocols and

look at ALL the trials they have going on. The reports are not just an

abstract, there is a complete study report that can be given to a doctor. It

even describes dosages, etc.

The attachment here is the protocol for the Cytoxan and Imuran comparative

study.

It is best to print the protocol a page at a time at the site because of

graphs and such that are not in this text version. However, you can get an

idea of what is in the study from this.

One point the text version makes is to point out that specific vascultis

problems may not show the typical antibodies : " a minority of microscopic

polyarteritis patiens are ANCA negative or have other ANCA autoantigens. For

the purpose of this study, patients are enteren in MP catgory if they have

chronic inflammatory process with nongranulomatous vasculitis of small

vessel. "

Also mentions: Renal-limited vasculitis which is typically called ïdiopathic

and may progress rapidly. They should be tested for anit-MPO and anti PR3

antibodies. It is possiblt that people with RP could also have this if they

have kidney involvement early rather than later.

Patients with Renal symptoms show remission with: stable or falling

creatinine, absence of red cells. Complete remission is supported by normal

C-reactive protein and ANCA is ignored. So anyone with kidney symptoms

needs the tests for creatinine, red cells and protein on a regular basis.

The URL for the Cytoxan/Imuran study is www.vasculitis.org/progress.shtml

Otherwise go to the JHUniv. Vasculitis Center web site and click on the link

to EUVAS group and on the EUVAS home page click on Trials Protocols.