[Control of penicillamine therapy in patients with chronic polyarthritis through urine disc electrophoresis].

D-penicillamine treatment of 50 patients with rheumatoid arthritis with negative ANF tests, was followed by means of protein disk electrophoresis of the urine. In the beginning the urine proteins were analysed every 4 weeks, later at intervals of 3 to 6 months. A glomerular proteinuria, caused by an immune-complex nephritis, can be recognized very early by this method. A glomerular proteinuria was the reason for discontinuing the treatment in 10 of the 50 patients (8 seropositive, 2 seronegative), drug fever occurred in one case with seropositive arthritis. Protein disk-elektrophoresis of the urine is an appropriate method to recognise renal damage earlier than with any other known routine method.