Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To assess prospectively the influence of intramuscular gold therapy on Helicobacter pylori serology in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Fifty patients with RA were started on intramuscular gold or chloroquine, as the control group and were followed serologically for H pylori infection for 12 months. RESULTS: Twelve patients treated with gold and eight control patients treated with chloroquine, all with serological evidence for H pylori infection, showed no significant decline of IgA and IgG anti-H pylori antibody levels or serum pepsinogen A and C levels. Total serum IgA and IgG levels declined significantly during gold therapy, while they remained unchanged during chloroquine therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Intramuscular gold therapy in patients with RA does not influence the serological parameters of H pylori infection.