title: [Clinical observation on treatment of rheumatoid arthritis by combined therapy with methotrexate, sulfasalazine and Chinese herbal medicine].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effect of Fengshi No. 1 (FS1) in treating patients with active stage of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with RA were randomly divided into two groups, the 40 patients in the treated group were treated with combined therapy of methotrexate (MTX), sulfasalazine (SSZ) and FS1, and the 20 in the control groups were treated with MTX and SSZ alone.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the treated group, the total effective rate was 97.5%, the clinical controlled and markedly effective rate 95.0% and the occurrence rate of side-toxic reaction 10.0%, as compared with those in the control group, 60.0%, 20.0% and 45.0% respectively, the difference was significant (chi 2 = 11.91, 32.23 and 7.67 respectively, all P < 0.01). The effect in the treated group was superior to that in the control group in abating joint swelling and pain, improving function of joint, reducing immune indices and ameliorating iconographic features (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FS1 not only has the effects of anti-inflammation, analgesis, regulating immune reaction, but also could retard the occurring of bone destruction, reduce the toxic-side effects of MTX and SSZ.
authors.affiliation: Victory Hospital of Victory Petroleum Administration, Shandong 257055.
authors.forename: Si-jian
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Xiang-ru
authors.initials: XR
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D012460:Sulfasalazine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D012460:Sulfasalazine; D008727:Methotrexate