[Aminotransferase levels in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with methotrexate]. / Aminotransferases em pacientes com artrite reumatóide tratados com metotrexate.

Increase of the aminotransferase levels in 53 patients treated with methotrexate (MTX) were analysed in a retrospective study. The mean dose of MTX was 7.46 mg/week (range 2.5-15 mg) during at least 30 weeks (mean time of MTX use 124 weeks). The aminotransferase levels were transitorily increased in 13 patients, always less than three times the upper limit of normal. Only in three patients the AST and ALT levels were persistently increased and lead to the drug discontinuation in two cases. These results showed that increase of aminotransferases was a frequent observation (24.5%) during the first two-three years of follow-up, without interference in the overall clinical management.

[Oral tolerance in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases]. / Tolerância oral no tratamento da artrite reumatóide e outras doenças auto-imunes.

Oral administration of antigen has been recognized as a form of inducing antigen-specific unresponsiveness. Studies in animal models of autoimmune diseases have shown the effectiveness of such an approach. Recently, three clinical trials have suggested that oral tolerance can be useful in human disease. In this review, we address the mechanisms underlying this system and the role of oral tolerance in the treatment of human autoimmune disease.