Effect of methotrexate in treating patients with rheumatoid arthritis of different Chinese medical syndrome patterns / 中国中西医结合杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study whether the effects of methotrexate were different in treating patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) of different Chinese medical syndrome patterns.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Retrospective analysis was conducted in 312 RA patients treated with methotrexate, the Chinese medical syndrome patterns in them were differentiated into the cold-dampness blocking collateral type (SA), the heat-dampness blocking collateral type (SB), the phlegm blood-stasis intermingling type (SC), and the heat-cold complex type (SD). Parameters including numbers of joint with tenderness (Njt) and that with arthroncus (Nja); patient's morning stiffness duration (MSD), scores estimated by visual analog scale (VAS) and health assessment questionnaire (HAQ); as well as laboratory indices involving rheumatoid factor (RF), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), etc. were recorded before and after treatment and statistically analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After treatment, improvements were shown in all patients in terms of Njt, Nja, MSD, VAS scores and ESR, showing significant difference as compared with those before treatment (P < 0.05); and the improvements among patients with different Chinese medical syndrome types were different in degree, the best curative effect was shown in patients of SB type (chi2 = 45.3, P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Referring to Chinese medical syndrome patterns, the curative effect of methotrexate on patients with Heat-Dampness blocking collateral pattern is better than on those of other pattern.</p>