| Objective To access the effect of Qing Re Huo Xue (Clearing Heat& Promoting Blood Flow; QRHX) Decoction treatment on radiographic progression in patients with RA with X-ray imaging.Methods 86 patients with active RA who were diagnosed as damp-heat and blood stasis syndrome were randomly divided into QRHX group and QRHX plus methotrexate (MTX) group,43 cases in each group. After one-year treatment,21 cases in each group (42 in total) were evaluated (age 43.8±12.6 years, duration 2 (1.5,4) years).Radiographs of hands were obtained at baseline and 12 months. Images were evaluated by investigators blinded to chronology and clinical data, and assessed according to Sharp/van der Heijde methods.Results High intrareader agreements were reached (mean intraobserver intraclass coefficients: 0.95). No significant change in any imaging parameters of joint destruction was observed at 12 months in both group; and the differences between two groups are not significant (p> 0.05). The mean of changing score in QRHX group is 3.5±4.1, that in QRHX+MTX group 2.4±3.5, while the baseline radiological score of patients in QRHX group is relatively higher (18.9±19.1 in QRHX group and 14.0±14.0 in QRHX+MTX group). The mean rate of changing score of the two groups is similar (0.24±0.28 in QRHX group and 0.25±0.44 in QRHX+MTX group,p=0.40). The severity of progress in two groups is also similar (p=0.46), 7 cases without radiographic progress in QRHX group and 8 in QRHX+MTX group,3 cases with obvious radiographic progress in QRHX group and 1 in QRHX+MTX group.Conclusion Radiographic progress of RA patients in two groups is similar, indicating QRHX Decoction may have a potential role in bone protection.
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