Abstract:

AIM: To evaluate the effect of Ira Maude on VEGF and PEDF in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in serum and synovial fluid. METHODS: 60 cases of patients with RA were randomly divided into control group and experimental group, with 30 cases in each group. The patients in the two groups were treated with piroxicam, patients in the control group were treated with methotrexate based on basic treatment, and patients in the test group were also treated with iguratimod for a total of 90 days, in the two group with clinical symptoms, clinical curative effect and the changes of VEGF and PEDF in serum and synovial fluid. RESULTS: The score of DAS-28 between the two group had no significantly difference before treatment (P>0.05) and were all decreased after treatment, but DAS-28 scores in the test group were lower than that in the control group (P<0.05); the total effective rate (93.3%) in test group was significantly higher than that (70%) in control group (P<0.05). The terms of the indices of joint tenderness, swelling, morning stiffness time, joint pain, joint swelling index were no difference before treatment (P>0.05) and all improved after treatment, but improvement in the test group was better than that in the control group (P<0.05). The levels of VEGF and PEDF in serum and synovial fluid had no difference before treatment (P>0.05); There was no significant change in the control group before and after treatment (P>0.05), but after treatment was better than that before treatment in the experimental group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Maude shows good clinical efficacy, and its mechanism may be related to inhibit the formation of new blood vessels.

Key words:  Ira Maude, rheumatoid arthritis, methotrexate, VEGF, PEDF