Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32336980›Full record

ArticleChinese medicine2020

Traditional Chinese medicine Biqi capsule compared with leflunomide in combination with methotrexate in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized controlled trial.

Zhang Wang, Jiaqi Wu, Dongyun Li, Xuan Tang, Yue Zhao, Xiao Cai, Xianghong Chen, Xiumin Chen, Qingchun Huang, Runyue Huang

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Chinese medicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 26% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Observational
  3. Review
  4. Effects and molecular mechanisms ofFrontiers in pharmacology · 2025
    Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Wu-Teng-Gao External Treatment Improves Th17/Treg Balance in Rheumatoid Arthritis.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2022
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Zhang Wang *1Institute of Ecological Sciences, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
Jiaqi Wu *2Section Rheumatology Research, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Guangzhou, China.
Dongyun Li2Section Rheumatology Research, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Guangzhou, China.
Xuan Tang2Section Rheumatology Research, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Guangzhou, China.
Yue Zhao2Section Rheumatology Research, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Guangzhou, China.
Xiao Cai2Section Rheumatology Research, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Guangzhou, China.
Xianghong Chen2Section Rheumatology Research, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Guangzhou, China.
Xiumin Chen2Section Rheumatology Research, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Guangzhou, China.
Qingchun Huang2Section Rheumatology Research, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Guangzhou, China.
Runyue Huang2Section Rheumatology Research, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Guangzhou, China.ORCID 0000-0003-1532-1766
Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine · CNSouth China Normal University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBiqi capsule is a traditional Chinese medicine widely used as a complementary and alternative treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The objective is to understand the efficacy, safety and mechanism of Biqi combined with methotrexate (MTX) in RA.

methodsWe present a randomized, controlled pilot trial on Biqi combined with MTX against patients with active RA. Seventy patients were randomized 1:1 to receive Biqi + MTX or Leflunomide (LEF) + MTX for 24 weeks, and were assessed at baseline, 4, 12 and 24 weeks. Serum and urine samples were collected for metabolomics.

resultsOverall, 81.2% patients in Biqi group achieved ACR20 at 24 weeks. No statistically significant differences were observed in primary or secondary outcomes between the two groups. A better safety profile was observed for Biqi with significantly fewer adverse effects reported (11.4%) compared to LEF group (40%,

conclusionsOur study suggests that Biqi capsule can be a promising alternative option in combination with MTX for RA treatment, and demonstrates the capability of using metabolomics to interrogate mechanism of action for traditional Chinese medicine.

Indexed as

Biqi capsuleClinical trialComplementary therapyLeflunomideMetabolomicsMethotrexateRheumatoid arthritisTh2 inflammation

Identifiers

PMID32336980
PMCPMC7178961
OpenAlexW3017912459

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.