TRIAL OF SHARED EPITOPE PEPTIDES IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

University Of California San Diego, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

This proposal is a Phase II trial of oral administration of a small peptide (DNAj peptide) which bears homology to the class II molecules (shared epitope) in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Work will be conducted at UCSD, John Hopkins University, Mayo Clinic and Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social, Tijuana. Patients with early RA (5 or less years duration, not exposed to MTX or Enbrel) will be selected based on their immune reactivity with DNAj peptides. Primary outcome is the ACR 20, a standard measure of outcome in RA trials.