I. Rheumatoid Arthritis

I. Rheumatoid Arthritis

1. Onset and Mechanism: The incidence ranges from 0.24% to 0.45%, which is relatively lower than in foreign countries. Joints exhibit varying degrees of synovial hyperplasia, fibrin deposition, and cartilage destruction; the contents of these proliferative areas often contain antigen-antibody complexes (as observed at the General Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army). Rheumatoid factor is one of the four key indicators for diagnosing this disease—joint pain, deformity, RF, X-ray findings, and synovial pathology—but because 5% of healthy individuals test positive for this factor, its importance in diagnosing the disease has been somewhat diminished.

2. Treatment:

   • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs—specifically, ibuprofen—can provide analgesic effects at low doses, while higher doses exert anti-inflammatory effects. Typically, take 0.2 g per dose, 2–3 times daily.
   • Disease-modifying agents—penicillamine, 0.25 g daily, 3 times a day; after improvement, switch to 0.25 g daily, which can be maintained for a year, though it comes with side effects and offers good therapeutic efficacy. Methotrexate, 10 mg weekly. Other options include tripterygium wilfordii and corticosteroids.