Clinical Research Directory

Clinical Cohort Construction and Therapeutic Effect Evaluation of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

This is a large-scale, multicenter observational study on the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with integrated Traditional Chinese and Western medicine. The study plans to enroll at least 10,000 patients, including a minimum of 1,000 cases with difficult-to-treat RA (D2T RA) and 1,000 cases with RA-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD). Through long-term follow-up, data will be collected on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome characteristics, treatment plans, adverse drug reactions, and complications. Biological samples, including blood and urine, will also be collected. The research will utilize multi-omics technologies such as genomics and proteomics, combined with clinical data, to deeply explore the modern scientific connotation of the "disease-syndrome-symptom" framework in RA. The goal is to clarify the patterns and advantages of TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment. Based on these findings, a scientific and standardized efficacy evaluation system for integrated treatment will be established, and optimized treatment strategies for D2T RA and RA-ILD will be developed. The project is led by multiple national TCM clinical research centers and regional diagnostic and treatment centers, including the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of TCM and Shanghai Guanghua Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine. These institutions have mature clinical research platforms, biobanks, and databases, providing a solid foundation for the successful implementation of this study. The results of this research will provide a scientific basis for the integrated treatment of RA, promote the standardization of diagnostic and treatment protocols, and ultimately improve the overall level of RA prevention and treatment in China.

Collection of Airway, Blood and/or Urine Specimens From Subjects for Research Studies

The purpose of this study is to obtain biologic materials from the blood, airways and/or urine of normal individuals and individuals with lung disease. The normal are used to establish a set of normal ranges for various parameters. These provide control information when compared to individuals with various pulmonary diseases, and will help in understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of various lung diseases. The underlying hypothesis is that the pathologic morphological changes in the airway epithelium must be preceded by changes in the gene expression pattern of the airway epithelium and potentially in macrophages.