An Analysis of Peripheral Blood T Cell Subsets on Rheumatoid Arthritis

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 21 or above
• Fulfilled the 1978 American college of Rheumatology(ACR) criteria for RA
• Seropositive for RF with RF>20 IU/ml
• Active disease despite treatment with at least 2 stable dose of DMARDs for at least 16 weeks, including MRX>10mg weekly
• 4 or more swollen and/or tender joints
• Stable dose of prednisolone<=12.5mg/day or NASID for at lease 4 weeks
• MTX>10mg/wk and folic acid>10 mg/wk for at lease 4 weeks

Exclusion Criteria:

• Little or no ability for self-care
• Used a DMARD other than MTX(Leflunomide should be wash-out with cholestyramine 4 weeks prior screening)
• Received intra-articular,intramuscular, or intravenous corticosteroids in the last 4 weeks
• Concurrent treatment with any biologics within 8 weeks
• Infected joint prosthesis during the previous 5 years
• Autoimmune disease other than RA(except concurrent Sjogren's syndrome), active rheumatoid vasculitis, and history of systemic disease associated with arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome.
• Serious infections, such as hepatitis, pneumonia, pyelonephritis in the previous 3 months
• Any chronic infectious disease such as renal infection, chest infection with bronchiectasis or sinusitis
• Recurrent bacterial infections with encapsulated organisms, primary or secondary immunodeficiency
• Active tuberculosis requiring treatment within the previous 3 years
• Opportunistic infection such as herpes zoster within the previous 2 months
• Any evidence of active cytomegalovirus;active Pneumocystis Jirovecl;or drug-resistant atypical mycobacterial infection
• Known hypersensitivity to murine proteins
• Current signs or symptoms of severe,progressive,or uncontrolled renal,hepatic,haematological,gastrointestinal,endocrine,pulmonary,cardias,neurological,or cerebral disease
• A history of lymphoproliferative disease including lymphoma or signs suggestive of disease,such as lymphadenopathy of unusual size or location(ie,lymphadenopathy nodes,in the posterior tangle of the neck,infraclavicular epitrochlear,or periaortic areas);splenomegaly
• Any know malignant disease except basal cell carcinoma currently or in the last 5 years