Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of oral chicken type II collagen (CCII) in the treatment of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA).
Methods: Ten patients with active JRA were treated with CCII for 12 weeks. Efficacy parameters, which included swollen and tender joint count and score, grip strength, 50-foot walking time, duration of morning stiffness, and patient and physician global scores of disease severity, were assessed monthly.
Results: All patients completed the full course of therapy. Eight patients had reductions in both swollen and tender joint counts after 3 months of CCII. The mean changes from baseline in swollen and tender joint counts for the 8 responders at the end of the study were -61% and -54%, respectively. Mean values for other efficacy parameters also showed improvement from baseline. There were no adverse events that were considered to be treatment related.
Conclusion: Oral CCII may be a safe and effective therapy for JRA, and its use in this disease warrants further investigation.