Corticosteroid transdermal delivery significantly improves arthritis pain and functional disability

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• 作者：Tommaso Iannitti ; Michael F. McDermott…
• 关键词：Betamethasone valerate ; Transdermal drug delivery ; Pain ; Functional disability ; Stiffness ; C ; reactive protein ; Arthritis ; Osteoarthritis
• 刊名：Drug Delivery and Translational Research
• 出版年：2017
• 出版时间：February 2017
• 年：2017
• 卷：7
• 期：1
• 页码：156-161
• 全文大小：693KB
• 刊物主题：Pharmaceutical Sciences/Technology;
• 出版者：Springer US
• ISSN：2190-3948
• 卷排序：7

文摘

Arthritis is characterized by pain and functional limitation affecting the patients’ quality of life. We performed a clinical study to investigate the efficacy of a betamethasone valerate medicated plaster (Betesil) in improving pain and functional disability in patients with arthritis and osteoarthritis. We enrolled 104 patients affected by osteoarthritis (n = 40) or arthritis (n = 64) in different joints. Patients received diclofenac sodium cream (2 g, four times a day) or a 2.25-mg dose of Betesil applied to the painful joint every night before bedtime for 10 days. Pain and functional disability were assessed, by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Western Ontario McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores. Redness was assessed by clinical inspection, and edema by the “fovea sign” method. C-reactive protein (CRP) was also measured; CRP can be used to cost-effectively monitor the pharmacological treatment efficacy and is increased during the acute-phase response, returning to physiological values after tissue recovery and functional restoration. All measurements were at baseline and at 10-day follow-up. At 10-day follow-up, a greater improvement in VAS and WOMAC pain and WOMAC stiffness and functional limitation scores from baseline was observed in patients treated with Betesil compared with diclofenac (all p < 0.01). At 10-day follow-up, improvement in redness, edema, and CRP levels from baseline was also greater in patients treated with Betesil compared with diclofenac (all p < 0.01). This study demonstrates the safety and efficacy of transdermal delivery of betamethasone valerate in patients affected by arthritis and osteoarthritis.