Objective: To observe the efficacy and adverse reaction of Shuxuetong Injection (SXTI, the extracted liquor from Pheretima and Hirudo) in treating patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Methods: Ninety-seven patients with active RA assigned in the SXTI group were treated with high or low dose SXTI (6 mL/d or 8 mL/d) combined with conventional therapy and the 30 in the control group treated with conventional therapy alone. Thompson index, Ritchie index, time of morning stiffness (TMS), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and plasma fibrinogen (Fib) in patients were determined before treatment (T0), by the end of the 1st (T1), second (T2) and 4th (T3) week of treatment, respectively, as well as the SXTI associated adverse reaction monitored.
Results: Marked improvement of all indexes, including Thompson index, Ritche index, TMS, ESR and Fib, was shown in the SXTI groups at T1 (P < 0.01), but in the control group, it only appeared at T3 (P < 0.01). Compared with the control group, TMS, ESR and Fib at T1, Thompson index and Ritche index at T2 in the SXTI groups were significantly improved (P < 0.01), especially significant in the high dose group (P < 0.01). However, hands edema appeared in 2 patients, foot edema in 1 and fullness sensation of head in 1 in the high dose SXTI group. The dose was forced to redue to 6 mL/d, and then all the symptoms were improved.
Conclusion: SXTI shows good efficacy with less adverse reaction in treating patients with active RA, and better efficacy was obtained at the dose of 8 mL/d.