The potential role of Chinese medicine in ameliorating extra-articular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease chiefly affecting synovial membranes of multiple joints. The clinical manifestations are highly variable. Besides joint affection, extra-articular manifestations always occur in RA patients, such as lung, blood vessel, heart, endocrine glands, hematological system, and nervous system affections. In addition to Western medicine therapy, Chinese medicine also plays a significant role in the treatment of RA with good efficacy and less adverse reactions. This paper summarizes the effects of xinfeng capsule, a Chinese medicine, and the mechanisms of its action in ameliorating the extra-articular manifestations based on a series of clinical and experimental researches.