Serotonin type 3 receptor antagonist tropisetron in the treatment of chronic inflammatory rheumatic conditions - preliminary clinical experience

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of rheumatology 2004-01, Vol.33 (S119), p.55-58
• Main Author: Hrycaj, P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0300-9742; 1502-7732
• DOI: 10.1080/03009740410007069

Several lines of research indicate that serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and 5-HT receptors may play a part in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory rheumatic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and scleroderma progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS). In this paper, case reports on two patients with RA who were successfully treated with 5-HT3 receptor antagonist tropisetron were presented. Short-term oral tropisetron (5-10 mg d) induced either remission of RA or improvement in RA-related symptoms, which lasted for several weeks or months after the treatment was discontinued. Interestingly, tropisetron was effective in a patient with refractory rheumatoid vasculitis, which is a severe complication that requires high-dose glucocorticoids in most cases. The beneficial effect of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists in RA and PSS suggests that this class of drugs may have potential in the treatment of chronic inflammatory rheumatic conditions. Double blind, placebo-controlled studies are urgently needed to confirm the efficacy and tolerance of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists in larger cohorts of patients.