The Nordic concept of reactive psychosis--a multicenter reliability study.

Reactive psychosis is a common diagnosis in the Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland) and in several other parts of the world. In ICD-9 and DSM-III-R, the concept is defined more narrowly than in the Nordic tradition. In this study we examined the interrater reliability of the Nordic concept by the case-summary method between clinicians from 9 university departments in the Nordic countries. The results show that Nordic psychiatrists have a reasonably reliable concept of reactive psychosis, and that this psychosis can be diagnosed as reliably as schizophrenia and affective psychosis.

An open, controlled, randomized comparison of cyclosporine and azathioprine in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a preliminary report.

Cyclosporine (10 mg/kg/day) and azathioprine (2.5-3 mg/kg/day) were compared for 26 weeks in an open, controlled, randomized study of 24 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Each treatment group consisted of 12 patients. Those patients who took cyclosporine improved significantly in the 50-foot walk time, circumferences of proximal interphalangeal joints, Ritchie articular index, global assessment by investigator, and grip strength, when compared with baseline findings. In the azathioprine group, there was improvement only in grip strength.

No effect of transfer factor in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis by double-blind trial.

A previously pilot study of treatment with transfer factor in 3 patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) gave promising results. However, in this small and open study no definite conclusions could be drawn. Therefore, a double-blind group trial was performed in 12 JRA patients treated with transfer factor, and in 12 placebo-treated control patients. The patients were evaluated clinically, by laboratory tests, and by estimation of different lymphocyte populations and cell-mediated immunity in vitro and in vivo. Transfer factor was not found to be of significant therapeutic value in patients with JRA. The only statistically significant difference between the two groups was a greater reduction in the percentage of T lymphocytes in transfer factor-treated patients than in control patients. The significance of this is difficult to explain and could have appeared by chance. No side effects of treatment with transfer factor were noted.