Effect of cream, prepared with Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F and other four medicinals, on joint pain and swelling in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a double-blinded, randomized, placebo controlled clinical trial.

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness a cream onjoint pain and swelling in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The cream, topically used, in was prepared with Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF), Mangxiao (Nalrii Sulfas), Chuanxiong (Rhizoma Chuanxiong), stir-frying with liquid adjuvant Ruxiang (Olibanum), and stir-frying with liquid adjuvant Moyao (Myrrh).

Methods: Patients were 1∶1 randomized to add-on TwHF cream twice a day or placebo for 4 weeks. The primary endpoint was achievement rate of 20% improvement in American College of Rheumatology criteria (ACR20) at week 4. Secondary endpoints were ACR50, 28-joint count Disease Activity Score (DAS28) improvement and safety profiles. Statistical analyses were performed using intention to treat analysis (ITT) set.

Results: A total of 70 active RA patients were enrolled. At week 4, the ACR20 was 34.3% (12/35) in TwHF cream group and 11.4% (4/35) in placebo group (P = 0.015). Similarly, a higher ACR50 responder proportion was seen in TwHF cream group with 17.1% (6/35) comparing to it in placebo group with 2.9% (1/35) (P = 0.046). The TwHF cream group also had more improvement than the placebo group on DAS28-ESR (1.1 vs 0.5, P = 0.001), DAS28- CRP (1.4 vs 0.7, P = 0.001), tender joint count (5.5 vs 2.6, P = 0.018), swollen joint count (3.5 vs 1.6, P = 0.003) and Physician's global assessment (25.8 vs 13.0, P = 0.002), as well as C-reactive protein (11.2 vs 2.7, P = 0.048). Except 2 skin allergy events in TwHF cream group, no other substantive adverse events were observed.

Conclusion: On the short term, TwHF cream is likely to be an effective and safety complimentary treatment in patients with active RA.