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DALLAS, TEXAS. Extracts of the roots of Tripterygium
wilfordii Hook F (TwHF) have been used for centuries in China
to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus
(SLE), ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis, eczema, scleroderma, and
other autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Originally, a hot
water extract of the plant was used, but this approach had many
adverse effects. In the 1970s two new extracts were developed;
one is an ethyl acetate extract while the other, now known as T2,
is a chloroform-methanol extract. One randomized, double-blind trial involving 70 patients with RA compared the effect of 20 mg of T2 taken three times daily with a placebo. Approximately 90 per cent of the patients treated with T2 experienced significant improvement. Trials involving several hundred patients with SLE have shown significant beneficial effects of T2 and a much reduced need for prednisone. Favourable results have also been reported in the treatment of systemic sclerosis and various kidney disorders.
Although highly effective in many cases, T2 can have adverse
effects especially on the gastrointestinal tract. Says Drs. Tao
and Lipsky of the University of Texas "Treatment with extracts of
TwHF is effective in most patients with rheumatic disease;
however, close medical supervision is essential in order to avoid
serious adverse effects." [117 references]
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