Rheumatology and Immunology Department (Rheumatic Disease Department)

Department of Rheumatology

I. Department Overview

The Department of Rheumatology and Immunology of Chongqing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine is a nationally recognized advantageous specialty of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), a key specialty and key discipline designated by the Chongqing Municipal Health Commission, and a renowned TCM specialty department in Chongqing. It is the Chongqing Rheumatic Disease Medical Quality Control Center, as well as the institution serving as chair of the Rheumatology Special Committees of the Chongqing Society of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Chongqing Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry. It houses the Chongqing Key Laboratory for the Prevention and Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases with Traditional Chinese Medicine. While applying advanced diagnostic and treatment methods of modern medicine, the department adheres to the distinctive features of TCM and has gradually developed into a sustainable specialty department characterized by prominent specialty strengths, a well-structured professional talent echelon, and complete facilities and scale. The department currently has 74 beds in operation, more than 42,000 outpatient visits annually, and more than 2,200 inpatient admissions annually.

Medical and nursing team: The medical and nursing team consists of 44 staff members, including 22 physicians (including 4 treatment physicians) and 22 nurses. The team includes 1 national-level mentor in the mentor-apprentice program, 2 municipal-level mentors in the mentor-apprentice program, 2 renowned TCM physicians of Chongqing, and 2 hospital-level mentors in the mentor-apprentice program; 8 staff members with senior professional titles, 7 with intermediate professional titles, 5 doctoral degree holders, and 14 master's degree holders. There are 1 doctoral supervisor and 6 master's supervisors. The team also includes 2 high-level young and middle-aged medical professionals of Chongqing, 1 academic and technical leader of Chongqing, 1 reserve candidate for academic and technical leader of Chongqing, 1 Bayu Qihuang Scholar of Chongqing, 1 Bayu Young Qihuang Scholar of Chongqing, and 1 visiting scholar under the “Western Light” program.

Specialty laboratory: This laboratory is a Chongqing key laboratory, with a team of 6 technicians. It is equipped with advanced testing instruments, including fluorescence microscopes, blotting instruments, microplate readers, polarizing microscopes, and flow cytometers. It can perform various laboratory tests for rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid antibody panels, antinuclear antibody panels, systemic vasculitis antibody panels, myositis antibody panels, antiphospholipid antibody panels, a series of bone-metabolism indicators, HLA-B27 testing, and gout-crystal testing, enabling rheumatic diseases, especially difficult and rare diseases, to be detected, diagnosed, and treated at an early stage.

Diagnostic and treatment equipment: The department has introduced portable Doppler ultrasound equipment and a nailfold microcirculation analyzer. It can perform bedside musculoskeletal joint ultrasonography and nailfold microcirculation examinations. These procedures are safe, noninvasive, rapid, and convenient, greatly improving the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal joint diseases and connective-tissue diseases. The department also has medium-frequency therapy devices, semiconductor laser therapy devices, far-infrared therapy devices, ultrasound therapy devices, osteoporosis treatment devices, cervical-spine treatment devices, wax-therapy devices, and other treatment equipment, which can effectively treat various joint disorders. For difficult and critical rheumatic diseases, the department has introduced ozone therapy devices, plasma-exchange machines, minimally invasive acupotomy arthroscopes, water-tendon needles, and other equipment and techniques, thereby improving its overall emergency and critical-care treatment capacity.

Telephone: Rheumatology Ward 1: 023-67868373; Rheumatology Ward 2: 023-67713784 Inpatient department address: Floors 21–22, Building C, Nanqiaosi Campus, Chongqing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Outpatient department address: 2nd floor, Building A, Nanqiaosi Campus, Chongqing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Consultation Rooms B208, B209, B210, and B211), and the Famous Doctors’ Clinic on the 3rd floor (Room 307).

II. Introduction to the Department’s Specialty Diagnostic and Treatment Techniques

(1) Distinctive TCM diagnostic and treatment techniques

Based on tracking cutting-edge international technologies in rheumatology, the department selects either TCM alone or an integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment plan according to each patient’s condition. Examples include clearing heat and draining dampness for gout, clearing heat and preserving body fluids for Sjögren syndrome, nourishing the blood and unblocking the collaterals for postpartum rheumatism, and dispelling wind and eliminating dampness for undifferentiated arthritis. Other integrated treatment approaches include immunosuppressants combined with the TCM method of supplementing qi and eliminating dampness for rheumatoid arthritis, kidney-tonifying sequential therapy combined with glucocorticoids for systemic lupus erythematosus, and the method of nourishing yin and dispersing cold combined with physical therapy for low-back and leg pain. These approaches highlight the advantages of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine in treating rheumatic diseases.

The department’s TCM-advantage conditions include wangbi (rheumatoid arthritis), gubi (osteoarthritis), gout, and zaobi (Sjögren syndrome). It currently has 6 in-house TCM preparations, including Duhuo Jisheng Mixture, Danggui Niantong Mixture, Qinjiao Mixture, Zhongyi Ointment, Wuwen Jiening Ointment, and Huoxue Ointment, as well as 6 agreed-prescription preparations, including Gout Mixture, Tianma Qufeng Medicinal Liquor, Shouwu Jiangji Granules, Compound Xianlu Granules, the Qingre Cunjin Formula, and the Sanhan Zhitong Liqi Huoxue Formula (Rheumatic Bi Pain Gel). More than 20 appropriate TCM techniques are used to treat rheumatic bi disorders, including acupuncture, moxibustion, indirect moxibustion, TCM wax therapy, external application of TCM medicines, TCM fumigation, gua sha, acupoint application, cupping, tuina, electroacupuncture, small-needle-knife therapy, and auricular point seed embedding. Floating-needle therapy and Jingjin-knife therapy are particularly effective and have received highly favorable evaluations from patients.

The department’s diseases of specialty strength are as follows: 1. Rheumatoid arthritis: Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs take effect slowly and generally require 2-3 months to achieve full efficacy. Administering TCM treatment during the active phase of rheumatoid arthritis can significantly improve efficacy during the acute phase and can effectively and rapidly relieve symptoms such as joint swelling and morning stiffness. 2. Sjögren syndrome: Modern medicine mainly uses symptomatic treatment or immunosuppressants. However, because of uncertain efficacy or substantial toxic and adverse effects, Sjögren syndrome is sometimes considered to have “no effective medicine.” The department uses multiple treatment approaches and has developed various methods, including the Qingre Cunjin herbal paste and TCM fumigation, to treat Sjögren syndrome. The advantages are evident, with a total effective rate exceeding 85%. These treatments effectively address dry mouth, dry eyes, reduced blood-cell counts, parotid enlargement, fatigue, and other symptoms of Sjögren syndrome. 3. Gout: TCM has good effects in preventing and treating gout, including reducing swelling and pain and lowering uric acid. The department combines oral TCM medicines with external application to treat acute gout, with satisfactory efficacy and fewer adverse effects; TCM treatment during the intermittent period can effectively reduce the frequency of attacks. 3. Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis occurs predominantly in middle-aged and older adults and seriously threatens their health. The department primarily treats it from the perspective of liver-kidney deficiency and cold-dampness obstructing the channels. Combined with the interposed-material TDP therapy developed by the department, this approach can significantly improve joint-pain symptoms in patients with osteoarthritis, improve their quality of life, and delay the timing of joint replacement. 4. Ankylosing spondylitis: On the basis of tonifying the kidneys and strengthening the Governor Vessel, the department uses distinctive TCM treatments such as TCM fumigation and Jingjin-knife therapy to treat enthesitis, combined with traditional TCM functional exercises such as Baduanjin. These methods can significantly improve the quality of life of patients with ankylosing spondylitis. 5. Systemic lupus erythematosus: Glucocorticoids have established efficacy in treating systemic lupus erythematosus; however, their adverse effects and dependence limit their clinical use. Based on kidney-tonifying sequential therapy, the department can effectively reduce adverse effects and dependence and improve clinical outcomes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. The department also provides biologic treatments such as rituximab, belimumab, and telitacicept for systemic lupus erythematosus. Combined with TCM treatment, these therapies can reduce or even discontinue glucocorticoid use. 7. Systemic sclerosis: For this type of rheumatic disease characterized primarily by fibrosis, the department uses the distinctive TCM approach of softening hardness and dispersing nodules as an entry point, which can effectively prevent disease progression.

(2) Advanced modern diagnostic and treatment techniques

1. Minimally invasive acupotomy arthroscopy: This technique is used for most stubborn cases of joint and soft-tissue swelling and pain, such as persistent localized swelling and pain of the joints or muscles and tendons in refractory rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. After local dredging, separation, lavage, medication placement, and other procedures are performed using minimally invasive acupotomy arthroscopy, symptoms can often be eliminated within a short period, relieving suffering and shortening the disease course. 2. Blood purification therapy: Rheumatic diseases result from abnormal autoimmune responses in which the body produces large amounts of autoantibodies that damage its own tissues, thereby causing disease onset and progression. Blood purification therapy can directly remove autoantibodies, immune complexes that cause tissue damage, and endogenous and exogenous pathogenic factors. It is one of the most advanced treatment methods for patients with severe rheumatic diseases. The department currently performs two blood-purification techniques: plasma exchange and immunoadsorption. 3. Targeted biologic therapy: The department has introduced targeted treatment with a variety of biologic agents, such as recombinant human tumor necrosis factor receptor type II-antibody fusion protein, adalimumab, certolizumab pegol, and secukinumab for rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis; rituximab, belimumab, and telitacicept for systemic lupus erythematosus or vasculitis; and targeted synthetic drugs such as oral tofacitinib and baricitinib for rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis. These treatments can rapidly improve the disease condition and reduce the adverse effects of glucocorticoids and other medications. 4. Major autohemotherapy: The department uses major autohemotherapy to treat various rheumatic diseases. It can effectively relieve joint pain and regulate abnormal immune states.

At present, most rheumatic diseases cannot yet be completely cured. However, after standardized integrated treatment with traditional Chinese and Western medicine, most patients can achieve long-term remission after their condition is controlled, thereby improving their quality of life.

III. Scope of Diseases Diagnosed and Treated by the Department

The department mainly diagnoses and treats rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren syndrome, ankylosing spondylitis, systemic sclerosis, gout, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, postpartum rheumatism, reactive arthritis, polymyositis, dermatomyositis, mixed connective-tissue disease, Behçet disease, polymyalgia rheumatica, rheumatic fever, antiphospholipid syndrome, systemic vasculitis, abnormal immune function, and other rheumatic and immune diseases, as well as bi disorders of the joints, muscles, and other musculoskeletal and soft tissues.

IV. Teaching and Research

Teaching: The department currently has 1 doctoral supervisor and 6 master's supervisors. It has trained 16 master's students and currently has 3 doctoral students and 12 master's students enrolled. The department is a standardized residency-training base for rheumatology and has 5 residency-training mentors. To date, it has trained more than 300 resident physicians. It accepts 3-4 visiting physicians for further training each year. In addition, the department is qualified to recruit doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows, forming a teaching team that provides training from interns and standardized resident physicians through master's students, doctoral students, and postdoctoral fellows.

Research: Over the past 3 years, the department has obtained more than 30 research projects of various types, with cumulative research funding exceeding RMB 5 million. In 2016, it received a General Program grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, achieving the hospital’s first breakthrough in this area. To date, it has received 4 National Natural Science Foundation of China grants in total. Over the past 3 years, it has published 167 academic papers, including 30 SCI papers, and has obtained 7 national patents. It has participated in receiving one award each of the first and second prizes for science and technology of the Chinese Association of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, the second prize for science and technology of the Shanghai Municipal Government, the first prize for TCM science and technology of the Chongqing Municipal Health Commission, and the second prize for scientific and technological progress of Chongqing, among other awards.