OBJECTIVETo analyze the Chinese medical syndrome typing laws in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients of the dampness-heat impeding syndrome and the cold-dampness impeding syndrome.

METHODSClinical data and serum of 322 inpatients and outpatients were collected to perform DAS28 score. Laboratory indices including erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin (ALB), globulin (GLB), and blood routines (white blood cell, red blood cell, and platelet) were tested by conventional methods, and the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin (IL)-1beta were detected by ELISA. The difference of each index was analyzed between RA patients of the dampness-heat impeding syndrome and the cold-dampness impeding syndrome.

RESULTSThe levels of DAS28 scores, ESR, CRP, white blood cell count, and platelet of RA patients of the dampness-heat impeding syndrome were significantly higher than those of the cold-dampness impeding syndrome (P <0.01). The serum level of GLB of RA patients of the dampness-heat impeding syndrome was obviously higher than that of the cold-dampness impeding syndrome (P <0.01), while the serum ALB level of RA patients of the dampness-heat impeding syndrome was obviously lower than that of the cold-dampness impeding syndrome (P<0.01). Compared with the dampness-heat impeding syndrome, ROC curve results showed the area under the curve (AUC) were ranked from large to small as DAS28 score > ESR >CRP >GLB > PLT >WBC (P<0.01). Compared with the cold-dampness impeding syndrome, only ALB was of diagnostic value for cold-dampness impeding syndrome and the AUC was 0.636 (P = 0.000).

CONCLUSIONDAS28 score, ESR, CRP, PLT, WBC, GLB, and ALB could be used as objective index in identifying the differences between the dampness-heat impeding syndrome and the cold-dampness impeding syndrome in RA patients.