OBJECTIVES

: To observe the effects of hydroxychloroquine on thrombosis factors and inflammatory cytokines in patients with elderly rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODS

: 96 cases of elderly RA patients treated in our hospital from January 2016 to March 2017were enrolled in the study and randomly divided into 2 groups with 48 cases in each group. The control group was given leflunomide, and the observation group was given hydroxychloroquine based on the basis of the control group. The levels of thrombosis factor [platelet aggregation rate (PAG), D-dimer, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), fibrinogen (Fg) and von Willebrand factor (vWF)], vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), the inflammatory cytokines in synovial fluid [interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 1 (IL-1α)], disease activity score (DAS28), and the number of swollen and tender joint and the adverse reaction were compared between the 2 groups before and after treatment.

RESULTS

: After 3 month of treatment, the levels of PAG, D-D, ESR, Fg, vWF, VCAM-1 and MIF in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05), and the levels of IL-6, TNF- and IL-1 were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The DAS28 score of the observation group was lower than that of the control group (P<0.05), and the number of swollen and tender joints was significantly less than that of the control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the total incidence of adverse reactions between the 2 groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

: The application of hydroxychloroquine on the basis of leflunomide, treatment can effectively alleviate inflammation of elderly RA patients, and play a protective role in vascular endothelial function and inhibit thrombosis with the remarkable treatment effect and less adverse reactions.