Jianpi Qingre Tongluo prescription (Huangqin Qingre Chubi capsule) protects the self-perception of patients with gouty arthritis through neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio: A nested case-control study

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Huangqin Qingre Chubi capsule (HQC) on self-perception of patients (SPP) with gouty arthritis (GA) and explore its potential action path. Using a nested case-control design, 150 eligible GA patients were matched into neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) improved group and NLR unimproved group based on the presence or absence of NLR improvement. Stratified analysis, association rule, binary logistics regression model and mediating effect analysis were used to evaluate the protective effect of HQC on SPP. At baseline, patients in the NLR improved group demonstrated significantly higher scores in the SPP subscales of physical functioning (PF), bodily pain (BP), general health, vitality (VT), role emotional (RE), and health transition compared to those in the NLR unimproved group (P < .001). And they exhibited significantly lower scores on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) (P < .01). HQC significantly improved SPP (including PF, role physical, BP, VT, RE, mental health, VAS, SAS, and SDS) in GA patients (P < .05). Stratified analyses and binary logistics regression showed that HQC had a significant protective effect on the SPP. Association rules showed that there was a co-occurrence pattern between HQC and improvement of SPP. Mediation analysis showed that NLR showed a complete mediating effect in the path of HQC improving PF (P < .001), SDS (P < .001), Syndrome of Dampness-Heat Quantitative Score (SDH) (P < .001) and Syndrome of Blood Stasis Quantitative Score (SBS) (P < .001). HQC is related to the improvement of SPP, inflammatory biomarkers and traditional Chinese medicine syndromes in GA patients, and it plays a protective effect on SPP through NLR.