title: [Efficacy of integrative medicine for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and its effect on glucocorticoid receptor expression].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the efficacy and mechanism of Fengshikang (FSK) in treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight patients with RA of damp-heat block syndrome type in Chinese medicine (CM), were randomized into two groups. They all received glucocorticoid therapy for 1 month, but FSK was administered to the 20 patients in the CM group in addition, while to the 18 in the WM group, MTX was given. Besides, a normal control group with 20 healthy subjects was set up. Blood levels of RA related indices were measured and compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After treatment, the levels of rheumatoid factor (RF) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were significantly reduced in both groups (P<0.05), but the reduction was more significant in the CM group (P<0.05). No significant change was found in the level of ESR after treatment and showed no significant difference between groups (P>0.05). Both hGRalpha mRNA and hGRbeta mRNA expressions were significantly higher in the patients than in the normal controls (P<0.01), they were lowered after treatment in the CM group (P<0.01), but significant reduction could only be found in level of hGRbeta mRNA in the control group (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FSK combined with glucocorticoid can effectively control the inflammatory reaction, decrease the level of hGRalpha and hGRbeta expressions and enhance the clinical efficacy in treating RA.
authors.affiliation: College of Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515.
authors.forename: Xin-zhong
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Qi-fu
authors.initials: QF
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Kang-hui
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; C411470:glucocorticoid receptor alpha; C121943:glucocorticoid receptor beta; D008775:Methylprednisolone