Gold compounds in rheumatoid arthritis: clinical-pharmacokinetic correlates.

Currently available techniques do not enable the clinician to identify which patients with rheumatoid arthritis will respond favorably to chrysotherapy or to predict which patients will develop gold-related complications. Gold concentrations are similar in blood, urine, feces, skin, hair and nails in gold-responders and non-responders, and in gold-toxic and non-toxic patients. However, gold toxicity is a function of dosage schedule; higher than conventional doses increase the prevalence and severity of adverse reactions. Preliminary observations suggest that the frequency of common side-effects (e.g. dermatitis, stomatitis, proteinuria) from oral gold (auranofin) is less than that incurred with intramuscular gold prepartions. The possible genetic predisposition to develop gold toxicity is under investigation.