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      Rheumatoid arthritis characteristics and classification of heat and cold patterns–an observational study

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          Abstract

          Introduction

          Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been proven to be an effective complementary therapy in treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The cold pattern and the heat pattern were the two main TCM patterns for RA, which is crucial for TCM treatment. The cold pattern is characterized by fear of cold and wind, joint pain with a thin white tongue coating which can be relieved by hot herbs. In contrast, heat pattern patients suffer from severe joint pain with a yellow coating, with red swelling of the skin and high skin temperature which can be relieved by cooling herbs.

          Objective

          We aimed to classify the heat and cold patterns in RA patients with cluster analysis and factor analysis. Moreover, we aimed to explore the association of RA characteristics between these two patterns.

          Methods

          and Design: A cross-sectional observational research method was used, and data was collected on 300 RA patients in Hangzhou in China. Signs and symptoms associated with RA were clustered using SPSS 22.0 software. In addition, factor analysis was also used for the classification. After classification of heat and cold patterns, characteristics and treatment of the RA participants between the two patterns were explored.

          Results

          RA patients in the study were divided into two categories using cluster analysis. Twenty-two symptoms in the first category were included in the heat pattern of RA patients. After factor analysis, nine principal components were extracted to heat pattern. The component with the highest eigenvalue (2.530) were mainly contributed by shortness of breath, palpitation, heavy limbs, chest tightness and yellow greasy tongue with high factor loading values (0.765, 0.703, 0.504, 0.429 and 0.402, respectively). Ten symptoms in the second category were included in the cold pattern of RA patients. Four principal components were extracted to cold pattern. The component with the highest eigenvalue (2.089) were mainly contributed by joint distension and pain, joint stiffness, fatigue and upset with high factor loading values (0.597, 0.590, 0.491 and 0.481, respectively). Although there were no statistical differences between the levels of rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic peptide containing citrulline (anti-CCP), the levels of C-reactive protein, platelet count and the disease activity score using 28 joint counts were significantly higher in the heat pattern RA patients compared to the ones in cold pattern. Moreover, heat pattern RA patients were more likely to be prescribed two more disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDS) combined with Methotrexate (MTX) (70.59% versus 49.72%; P = 0.000).

          Conclusions

          In conclusion, heat and cold patterns in RA patients could be classified well using cluster analysis and factor analysis. Most of RA patients with heat pattern were active and likely to be prescribed two more DMARDs combined with MTX.

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          Most cited references21

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          Theory of traditional Chinese medicine and therapeutic method of diseases.

          Traditional Chinese medicine, including herbal medicine and acupuncture, as one of the most important parts in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), plays the key role in the formation of integrative medicine. Why do not the modern drugs targeting the specificity of diseases produce theoretical effects in clinical observation? Why does not the traditional Chinese medicine targeting the Zheng (syndrome) produce theoretical effects in clinic? There should have some reasons to combine Western medicine with Chinese herbal medicine so as to form the integrative medicine. During the integration, how to clarify the impact of CAM theory on Western medicine has become an emergent topic. This paper focuses on the exploration of the impact of theory of traditional Chinese medicine on the therapy of diseases in Western medicine.
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            The treatment of rheumatoid arthritis using Chinese medicinal plants: From pharmacology to potential molecular mechanisms.

            Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common worldwide public health problem. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) achieved some results to some extent in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Especially in China, TCM formulas are used in the clinic because of their advantages. Some of these TCM formulas have been used for thousands of years in ancient China, they pays much attention to strengthening healthy qi, cleaning heat, and wet, activating blood, etc. So TCM in anti-RA drug is considered as a simple and effective method. In addition, TCM are also traditionally used as extracts and many Chinese herbs which are considered to be effective for RA. With the advancement of technologies and research methods, researchers have devoted themselves to exploring new therapeutic materials from troves of TCM. The components of TCM are identified and purified, which include alkaloids, coumarins, flavonoids, saponins and so on. However, little or no review works are found in the research literature on the anti-RA drugs from TCM. The present review aims to provide systematically reorganized information on the ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and pharmacology of TCM used traditionally against RA. The information recorded in this review will provide new directions for researchers in the future.
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              Platelets: emerging facilitators of cellular crosstalk in rheumatoid arthritis

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                Author and article information

                Contributors
                Journal
                Heliyon
                Heliyon
                Heliyon
                Elsevier
                2405-8440
                02 February 2023
                February 2023
                02 February 2023
                : 9
                : 2
                : e13439
                Affiliations
                [a ]Department of Rheumatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310005, China
                [b ]Department of Rheumatology, First People's Hospital of Taizhou, Zhejiang,318020, China
                Author notes
                []Corresponding author. Department of Rheumatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China. ossani@ 123456126.com
                [1]

                Wejijie Wang and Jintao Guan contributed equally to this work.

                Article
                S2405-8440(23)00646-1 e13439
                10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13439
                9975089
                36873147
                35a83d83-ba53-4a64-a589-f159f06bdd05
                © 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

                This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

                History
                : 20 June 2022
                : 28 January 2023
                : 30 January 2023
                Categories
                Research Article

                rheumatoid arthritis (ra),cluster analysis,factor analysis,heat pattern,cold pattern,traditional chinese medicine (tcm)

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