Patients were treated with topical compound tripterygium for 1 hour, twice per day. Area dosages were as followed that each 1st to 5th metacarpophalangeal joints (MCPJs), 1st to 5th proximal interphalangeal joints (PIPJs) and wrist was 3 ml, each elbow and ankle was 5 ml, each knee was 10 ml.

Patients were treated with topical placebo for 1 hour, twice per day. The dosage was the same as the topical tripterygium group.

Topical compound tripterygium was applied for the pain and swollen joints on non-woven fabric for 1 hour, twice per day.

To meet the criteria, a patient must have 20% or greater improvement in both tender and swollen joints (28 tender and 28 swollen joints were assessed) and 20% or greater improvement in 3 or more of the following: the physician's or patient's assessment of global health status, the patient's assessment of pain on a visual analogue scale, the patient's assessment of function using a modified version of the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), and the ESR or serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level.

To meet the criteria, a patient must have 50% or greater improvement in both tender and swollen joints (28 tender and 28 swollen joints were assessed) and 50% or greater improvement in 3 or more of the following: the physician's or patient's assessment of global health status, the patient's assessment of pain on a visual analogue scale, the patient's assessment of function using a modified version of the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), and the ESR or serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level.