Dialysis arthropathy should be treated in the early stage: The potentiality of Sai-rei-to as a new therapeutic drug for dialysis arthropathy

Dialysis arthropathy is a major complication being seen in hemodialysis patients treated for more than 10 years. Its characteristic pathological finding is amyloid synovitis. Though low dose steroid administration is effective for arthralgia in dialysis arthropathy, another therapeutic tool without using steroids should be established for the early stage of dialysis arthropathy. Sai-rei-to is thought to show an anti-inflammatry effect similar to that of low-dose steroids, and it has been used for controlling arthralgia of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Twenty-seven hemodialysis patients with chronic arthralgia due to dialysis arthropathy have been treated with Sai-rei-to without simultaneous steroid administration. There were 15 male and 12 female patients, with an average of age of 55.6. Their duration of hemodialysis is more than 8 years (an average of 17.0 years). The patients were provided with 6.0g of Sai-rei-to (Tsumura Sai-rei-to ®) a day, and the effect on arthralgia was evaluated after 1 month by each patient. Sai-rei-to was effective in 14 patients (arthralgia was reduced), not effective in 9 patient, and 4 patients had dropped out. This shows an efficacy rate of 60.9%. An effect was observed within one week after the beginning of therapy in the most effective cases. Although Sai-rei-to administration was not sufficiently effective for controlling severe arthralgia, but an analgesic effect was still observed in these patients. There were no severe side effects, although there was a sense of discomfort in the epigastrium (2 cases), edema (2 cases), itching (1 case), eruption (1 case). These results suggest that Sai-rei-to is an effective medicine for controlling arthralgia due to dialysis arthropathy, especially for the patients in the early stage of this disease.