Abstract
Efficacy and Mechanism of Action of Combined Medication of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Thalidomide on the Axial Ankylosing Spondylitis
Department of Orthopedics, Ningbo Yinzhou No. 2 Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315100, 1Department of Anaesthesiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, 2Department of Orthopedics, Zhejiang Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310012, China
Correspondence Address:
H. B. Qu, Department of Orthopedics, Zhejiang Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310012, China, E-mail: cai75459@126.com
To investigate the clinical efficacy and mechanism of action of combined medication of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and thalidomide on the axial ankylosing spondylitis. A total of 134 patients were randomly selected and divided into the observation group (n=67) and the control group (n=67). Finally, there were 60 patients in the observation group and 56 in the control group. Patients in the control group took nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (etoricoxib tablets) for treatment, while those in the observation group received the combined medication of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and thalidomide. In the observation group, the total effectiveness rate was significantly higher than that in the control group (p<0.05). At 6 w and 12 w after treatment, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein levels in the observation group were significantly reduced when compared with levels in the control group and before treatment (all p<0.05). However, at 2 w after treatment, the level of C-reactive protein in the observation group was significant decreased as compared with the levels in the control group and before treatment (all p<0.05), whereas a great decrease of the level of C-reactive protein in the control group was only found at 12 w after treatment (p<0.05). At 6 w and 12 w after treatment, bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index, bath ankylosing spondylitis functional index and visual analog scale scores of patients in two groups were ameliorated significantly, and the amelioration in the observation group was more evident than that in the control group (p<0.05). No statistical significance was shown in differences of the incidence rates of the gastrointestinal tract response, abnormal liver function and complications of infection (all p>0.05). In treatment of axial ankylosing spondylitis, combined medication of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and thalidomide performs better than the single medication of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Thalidomide mainly ameliorates the condition of axial ankylosing spondylitis patients by inhibiting tumour necrosis factor alpha, with little adverse effect, high safety and effectiveness and low cost. Thus, combined medication of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and thalidomide is worthy of being promoted in clinical practice.
