title: [Short-term clinical observation on compound Xiatianwu combined with methotrexate in treating rheumatoid arthritis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the short-term clinical efficacy of compound Xiatianwu combined with methotrexate (MTX) in treating rheumatoid arthritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and four patients with rheumatoid arthritis were randomly divided into two groups: 64 cases in the combined treatment group who was treated with compound Xiatianwu combined with MTX, and the remaining 40 cases in the control group which was only treated with MTX. The changes in ACR20, ACR50, ACR70 and laboratory indexes including anti-cyclic citrulline polypeptide, rheumatoid factor, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, high sensitivity creative protein were compared before and after treatment. Adverse reactions in the two groups were observed as well.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After being treated for 3 months, the ACR20 improvement rate reached 59.4% in the combined treatment group, higher than 35% in the control group, with significant statistical difference (P <0.05); The ACR50 improvement rate reached 32. 8% the treated group, also higher than 17.5% in the control group, with significant statistical difference (P <0.05). After treatment for three months, both groups showed remarkable improvement in anti-cyclic citrulline polypeptide, rheumatoid factor, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and high sensitivity creative protein compared with that before treatment, demonstrating statistical significance (P <0. 05). The combined treatment group displayed more significant improvement in erythrocyte sedimentation rate and high sensitivity creative protein as well as much less adverse reactions than the MTX group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compound Xiatianwu combined with MTX can effectively improve clinical symptoms of RA patients and laboratory indexes, and shows higher medication safety.
authors.affiliation: Dongyang Hospital Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical College, Dongyang 322100, China. zssay2005@sina.com
authors.forename: Shu-Shan
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; 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; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D008727:Methotrexate