Comparative study evaluating antihistamine versus leukotriene receptor antagonist as adjuvant therapy for rheumatoid arthritis

Investigating the efficacy and safety of rupatadine (RUP) versus montelukast (MON) as adjuvant therapy for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). From December 2018 to December 2019, 75 patients with active RA were enrolled in this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study. The patients were randomized into three groups (n = 25 in each group); methotrexate (MTX) group which received MTX 15–25 mg/week plus placebo tablet once daily; MTX/RUP group which received MTX plus RUP 10 mg once daily; and MTX/MON group which received MTX plus MON 10 mg once daily. The treatment duration was 3 months. At baseline and 3 months after treatment, blood samples were collected for the biochemical analysis of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukins 8 and 17 (IL-8, IL-17), E-selectin, and clusterin (CLU) levels. Clinical and functional assessments using Disease Activity Score-CRP (DAS28-CRP) and Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MDHAQ) were performed. Both RUP and MON produced clinical and functional improvements which were translated by significant improvements in DAS28-CRP score and MDHAQ. Rupatadine significantly reduced all measured parameters (P