Effects of Bee Venom on the pain, edema, and acute inflammatory reactant of Rheumatoid Arthritis patients

봉독약침이 류마티스 관절염 환자의 관절 통증, 종창 및 급성 염증 반응에 미치는 영향

  • Lee, Sang-hoon (Research Group of Pain and Neuroscience, East-West Medical Research Institute, Kyung-Hee University) ;
  • Lee, Hyun-jong (Research Group of Pain and Neuroscience, East-West Medical Research Institute, Kyung-Hee University) ;
  • Baek, Yong-hyeon (Research Group of Pain and Neuroscience, East-West Medical Research Institute, Kyung-Hee University) ;
  • Kim, Su-young (Research Group of Pain and Neuroscience, East-West Medical Research Institute, Kyung-Hee University) ;
  • Park, Jae-kyung (Research Group of Pain and Neuroscience, East-West Medical Research Institute, Kyung-Hee University) ;
  • Hong, Seung-jae (Research Group of Pain and Neuroscience, East-West Medical Research Institute, Kyung-Hee University) ;
  • Yang, Hyung-in (Research Group of Pain and Neuroscience, East-West Medical Research Institute, Kyung-Hee University) ;
  • Kim, Keon-sik (Research Group of Pain and Neuroscience, East-West Medical Research Institute, Kyung-Hee University) ;
  • Lee, Jae-dong (Research Group of Pain and Neuroscience, East-West Medical Research Institute, Kyung-Hee University) ;
  • Choi, Do-young (Research Group of Pain and Neuroscience, East-West Medical Research Institute, Kyung-Hee University) ;
  • Lee, Doo-ik (Research Group of Pain and Neuroscience, East-West Medical Research Institute, Kyung-Hee University) ;
  • Lee, Yun-ho (Research Group of Pain and Neuroscience, East-West Medical Research Institute, Kyung-Hee University)
  • 이상훈 (경희대학교 동서의학연구소 통증 및 신경의학연구팀) ;
  • 이현종 (경희대학교 동서의학연구소 통증 및 신경의학연구팀) ;
  • 백용현 (경희대학교 동서의학연구소 통증 및 신경의학연구팀) ;
  • 김수영 (경희대학교 동서의학연구소 통증 및 신경의학연구팀) ;
  • 박재경 (경희대학교 동서의학연구소 통증 및 신경의학연구팀) ;
  • 홍승재 (경희대학교 동서의학연구소 통증 및 신경의학연구팀) ;
  • 양형인 (경희대학교 동서의학연구소 통증 및 신경의학연구팀) ;
  • 김건식 (경희대학교 동서의학연구소 통증 및 신경의학연구팀) ;
  • 이재동 (경희대학교 동서의학연구소 통증 및 신경의학연구팀) ;
  • 최도영 (경희대학교 동서의학연구소 통증 및 신경의학연구팀) ;
  • 이두익 (경희대학교 동서의학연구소 통증 및 신경의학연구팀) ;
  • 이윤호 (경희대학교 동서의학연구소 통증 및 신경의학연구팀)
  • Received : 2003.01.11
  • Accepted : 2003.01.25
  • Published : 2003.04.20

Abstract

Objective : In order to study the effects of bee venom(BV) on the pain, edema, and acute inflammatory reactant of rheumatoid arthritis(RA) patients. Methods : Patients with RA who met the ACR(American College of Rheumatology) 1987 revised criteria for the diagnosis of RA were treated with the BV therapy twice a week for 3 months. Tender joint counts, swollen joint counts, Visual analog scale(VAS), morning in stiffness, ESR, C-reactive protein(CRP) were analyzed before and after BV therapy. Results : The results as follows: 1. Tender joint counts in patients after BV therapy were significantly lower than those before BV therapy($9.0{\pm}7.9$ vs $15{\pm}11.4$, p=0.002). 2. Swollen joint counts of the patients after BV therapy were significantly lower than those before BV therapy ($5.0{\pm}6.1$ vs $1.5{\pm}2.3$, p=0.001). 3. VAS in patients after BV therapy was significantly lower than before BV therapy($60.8{\pm}17.6$ vs $38.0{\pm}15.9$, p=0.000). 4. Duration of morning stiffness in patients after BV therapy was significantly reduced compared with that before BV therapy($119.1{\pm}112.6min$ vs $59.0{\pm}89.7min$, p=0.009). 5. ESR and CRP were not significantly changed before and after BV therapy, suggesting BV itself could make inflammatory reaction as well as therapeutic effect. Conclusions: BV therapy improved tender joint counts, swollen joint counts and duration of morning stiffness in this study, and further study is needed in log-term effect of BV therapy.

Keywords