Efficacy and safety of total glucosides of paeony in treating primary Sjögren’s syndrome: a propensity-matched study

Y.-Y. Cui, M. Abdukiyum, X.-F. Xu, Y.-Q. Zhang, N. Zhao, Z.-Y. Jia, Y.-Y. Zheng, Z.-Y. Jin, S.-S. Huang, X.-B. Feng

Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China. fengxuebing@hotmail.com

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• Rheumatology

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of total glucosides of paeony (TGP) in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study included 236 patients with pSS, including 118 TGP users and 118 non-users. Propensity score matching and Binary logistic regression analyses were used to minimize confounding factors and determine the association between TGP treatment and clinical variables.

RESULTS: The baseline indexes of TGP users and non-users were basically the same. The median time of follow-up in the two groups was also similar (p < 0.05). Compared with non-users, TGP users showed higher rates of improvement in dry mouth and eyes and musculoskeletal involvement, as well as more significant reductions in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and direct bilirubin (DBIL) levels after treatment. Logistic regression confirmed that the use of TGP was negatively correlated with the increase of ALT and DBIL in pSS patients, and the reduction in these variables was more pronounced after 2 years of treatment. The incidence of adverse reactions in the TGP users was 11.9%, which was compatible with those in non-users.

CONCLUSIONS: TGP is often a safe option for treating pSS patients with musculoskeletal features and abnormal ALT levels. Besides, it can help improve dry mouth and dry eyes and decrease DBIL levels.

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