[Clinical observation on total glucosides of paeony combined with sulfasalazine in treatment of ankylosing spondylitis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and adverse reaction of total glucosides of paeony (TGP) combined with sulfasalazine (SSZ) in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS: Sixty-seven AS patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups: the treatment group (34 cases) treated with TGP and SSZ, the control group (33 cases) with methotrexate (MTX) and SSZ. Changes of clinical efficacy related indexes including lumber pain index, morning stiffness time, peripheral joint pain index, thoracic expansion, Schober test, Bath AS disease active index (BASDAI), Bath AS functional index (BASFI), the levels of erythrocyte sedimentation (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP), and X-ray of sacroiliac joint were observed. RESULTS: The clinical efficacy indexes were significantly improved after treatment in the two groups (P < 0.05). Except that the improvement of lumber pain index and peripheral joint pain index was better in the treatment group than that in the control group (P < 0.05), no significant difference was found in the other indexes between the two groups. The occurrence of adverse reation was less in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: TGP treatment combined with SSZ shows favorable effect on AS with less and milder adverse reaction.