Radiographic assessment of disease progression in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with methotrexate or minocycline.

Radiographic studies of methotrexate (MTX) treated and minocycline treated patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are reviewed. A formal metaanalysis of publications of RA treated with MTX was undertaken at the time when MTX was used for patients with established RA. Thus the conclusions of that metaanalysis may not be applicable to patients treated with MTX earlier in the course of their disease. On the other hand, there are no sufficient data to conduct a formal metaanalysis of patients with RA treated with minocycline.