[Clinical and experimental study of RA mixture in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis]

The RA mixture is composed of Tripterygium Wilfordii (TW) and other Chinese medicinal herbs with effect of expelling Wind, activiting blood circulation, invigorating the Kidney and Qi. The authors treated rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with RA mixture and compared it with D-penicillamine as control. The two group's therapeutical effect is similar (P > 0.05), but the side effect occuring ratio in treatment group was obviously lower than that of control group (P < 0.01). After treatment with RA mixture, the patient's human lymphocytic antigen-degenerative reaction (HLA-DR+) cell, CD4/CD8 ratio reduced and auto-mixed lymphocytic reaction (AMLR) level enhanced (P < 0.05). The results of animal experiment showed that swelling of RA model mouse's joint could be reduced by both RA mixture and TW. Comparing with TW, RA mixture had stronger effect in controlling the inflammation of synovial cell and fibroid degeneration of fibrocytes. At the same time, RA mixture had stronger effect in protecting the immune organ from atrophy and protecting functions of cellular immunity. All above suggest that RA mixture reduce the syndroms of RA by improving distribution of T lymphocyte subsets and the functions of cellular immunity. The other Chinese medicinal herbs in the RA mixture could enhance TW's therapeutical effect and reduce it's side effect.