title: Assessment of clinical effect of therapy combining disease with syndrome on rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effectiveness and safety of a therapy combining disease with syndrome on rheumatoid arthritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty patients with rheumatoid arthritis belonging to syndrome of damp-heat obstruction were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group according to stratified blocked randomization method. Forty cases in the control group orally took Loxoprofen Sodium Tablet and Leifumite Tablet and the other 40 cases in the treatment group orally took a Chinese medicine for 12 weeks as a course of treatment. ACR therapeutic effect was used as the standard for evaluating the total therapeutic effect.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 12 weeks of treatment, there was a statistical difference (P < 0.01) in the improvement of VAS score, morning stiffness time, number of swelling joints, index of swelling joints, number of joints with tenderness, index of joints with tenderness, average grip strength of both hands, DSA28 score, HAQ, patient's assessment, physician's assessment, ESR, CRP and RF in both groups. The improvement of morning stiffness time, number of swelling joints, index of swelling joints, grip strength, HAQ and patient's assessment in the treatment group was much better than that in the control groups with statistical difference (P < 0.05). ACR20, ACR50 and ACR70 was 27.5% (11/40), 37.5% (15/40) and 22.5% (9/40) respectively in the treatment group and 40% (16/40), 27.5% (11/42) and 10.0% (4/40) respectively in the control group with statistical difference (P < 0.05) in the superiority of the treatment group over the control group. The incidence of adverse reaction in the control group was higher than that in the treatment group (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Definite therapeutic effect and high safety can be achieved in using the therapy combining disease with syndrome to treat rheumatoid arthritis belonging to syndrome of damp-heat obstruction.
authors.affiliation: The Third Hospital of Beijing University, Beijing 100191, China. shen85@sina.com
authors.forename: Hong-Bo
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Yun-Jing
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Ze-Jun
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Huo
authors.forename: Wei-Nong
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xian-Ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal