[A randomized, single-blind, parallel, controlled clinical study on single intra-articular injection of etanercept in treatment of inflammatory knee arthritis].

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of single intra-articular etanercept injection in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthropathy (SpA) who had knee arthritis.

Methods: This was a randomized, single-blind, parallel, controlled clinical trial. The subjects were the RA or SpA patients with the knee arthritis without deformity, moderate or severe bone erosion and obvious joint space narrowing in radiography in the target knees, who had taken at least 6-week therapy with routine dosage of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) before the study.

[Effects of infliximab and etanercept, two types of anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitor on serum level of matrix metalloproteinase 3 expression in patients with ankylosing spondylitis].

Objective: To evaluate the effect of Infliximab and Etanercept two types of anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitors, on the serum level of matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP-3) in the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Method: 47 patients with AS, 40 males and 7 females, aged 17 - 51, were treated with Infliximab (5 mg/kg i.v at weeks 0, 2, and 6); and 26 patients with AS were treated with Etanercept (25 mg, twice a week for 12 weeks).

Evaluation of efficacy and safety of diacerein in knee osteoarthritis in Chinese patients.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of diacerein in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: A total of 223 patients satisfying the American College of Rheumatology criteria for knee OA were chosen for this 17-week, randomized, double-dummy, diclofenac sodium-controlled trial, with diacerein dosage of 100 mg/d and diclofenac sodium of 75mg/d. Efficacy and safety of both drugs were evaluated.

[A short-term efficacy and safety study of infliximab in active ankylosing spondylitis].

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety profile of a loading regimen of the anti-TNFalpha antibody infliximab in ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Methods: This was an open-labeled trial. Subjects eligible for this study were adults with a diagnosis of definite AS.