title: Use of xinfeng capsule to treat abarticular pathologic changes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the influence of Xinfengcapsule (XFC) on abarticular pathologic changes (APCs) and other indices of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and explore the mechanism of action of XFC in improving such changes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three-hundred RA patients were divided randomly into a treatment group (n = 150) and control group (n = 150). A normal control (NC) group (n = 90) was also created. Changes in cardiac function, pulmonary function, anemia indices and platelet parameters of RA patients were measured. Curative effects of the two groups were compared, and comparison carried out with the NC group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 300 RA patients, late diastolic peak flow velocity (A peak) was much higher (P < 0.01) and early diastolic peak flow velocity (E peak), E/A, and left ventricular fraction shortening much lower(P < 0.01) than those in the NC group. Vital capacity (VC), forced vital capacity in one second, forced vitalcapacity (FVC), maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV), maximal expiratory flow in 50% of VC (FEF50) and FEF75 were lowered remarkably (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Platelet count (PLT), plateletcrit (PCT) and mean platelet volume (MPV) increased markedly (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), and hemoglobin (Hb) level decreased significantly (P < 0.05). After XFC treatment, the A peak and PLT and PCT were much lower (P < 0.05), and E/A and the number of red blood cells as well as Hb level were much higher (P < 0.05), as were FVC, MVV and FEF50 (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), in the treatment group than those in the NC group. Total score of pain and swelling in joints, uric-acid level and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level were much lower, and superoxide dismutase level as well as the number of CD4 + CD25+ regulation T cells (Treg) and CD4+ CD25+ CD127- Treg were much higher (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) in the treatment group than those in the NC group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RA patients with pathologic changes in joints also suffer from lower cardiac and pulmonary functions and from parameters of anemia and platelet factors. XFC can improve the symptoms of RA patients, ameliorate their cardiac and pulmonary functions and reduce the parameters of anemia and platelet factors. XFC lowers the immune inflammatory reaction to improve APCs in RA patients.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yunxiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Chuanbing
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wandong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Guizhen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Haixia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Ruilian
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ruikai
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zong
authors.forename: Yajun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Yifei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000276:immunology; D002214:Capsules / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002214:Capsules; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C533622:xinfeng; D002097:C-Reactive Protein