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Comparative study of the pharmacokinetics of MTX in juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients receiving long‐term MTX monotherapy or MTX plus chloroquine
Author(s) -
Kimura E.,
Oga S.,
Pereira R. M. R.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of clinical pharmacy and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.622
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1365-2710
pISSN - 0269-4727
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2710.2007.00860.x
Subject(s) - pharmacokinetics , medicine , cmax , methotrexate , arthritis , aspartate transaminase , gastroenterology , pharmacology , alanine transaminase , erythrocyte sedimentation rate , chloroquine , chemistry , immunology , alkaline phosphatase , enzyme , biochemistry , malaria
Summary Objective: To compare the pharmacokinetics and report on the clinical effects of methotrexate (MTX) in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), receiving long‐term MTX or MTX plus chloroquine (CQ). Methods: The pharmacokinetics of MTX, clinical characteristics (morning stiffness, joint tenderness and number of swollen joints) and biochemical markers (A‐amyloid substance, C‐reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, fibrinogen and α‐glycoprotein acid, alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase) of the JIA patients were determined. Eight patients were treated with MTX (0·15 mg/kg) and another eight with MTX (0·15 mg/kg) plus CQ (4 mg/kg) for at least 6 months. Results: All patients had polyarticular involvement and the clinical characteristics and biochemical markers were similar for the two groups. The pharmacokinetics of MTX were also similar with the C max and AUC values being 455·00 ± 101·00 n m and 1469·92 ± 299·77 n m /h for MTX group and 425·00 ± 169·60 n m and 1560·73 ± 615·49 n m /h for MTX plus CQ group, respectively. The respective creatinine clearance was 117·95 ± 12·58 for MTX group and 99·17 ± 22·65 mL/min for MTX plus CQ. Conclusion: The pharmacokinetics of MTX in JIA patients treated chronically with MTX are similar, with or without CQ co‐treatment.