Table 1 Characteristics of included studies

Lin 2016

Patients with RA

MTX + TGP

50

20/30

43.9 ± 5.1

3.5 ± 0.5

MTX

50

20/30

43.7 ± 5.2

3.3 ± 0.6

24 weeks

Yin 2007

Patients with RA

MTX + TGP

30

–

–

–

MTX

30

–

–

–

12 weeks

Gong 2017

Patients with RA

MTX + TGP

40

15/25

67.2 ± 5.2

1.3

MTX

40

17/23

68.8 ± 5.8

1.3

3 months

Chen 2017

Patients with RA

MTX + TGP

40

18/22

32.8 ± 4.9

2.2 ± 0.2

MTX

40

21/19

32.4 ± 5.3

2.2 ± 0.2

24 weeks

Fan 2006

Patients with EORA

MTX + TGP

34

8/26

–

–

MTX

32

7/25

–

–

24 weeks

Min 2005

Patients with RA

MTX + TGP

117

24/93

46.0 ± 13.0

2.4 ± 4.3

MTX

52

17/35

44.0 ± 14.0

2.0 ± 3.3

48 weeks

Du 2005

Patients with RA

MTX + TGP

31

20/11

40.0 ± 6.4

6.8 ± 3.6

MTX

30

18/12

38.0 ± 7.8

4.5 ± 3.2

12 weeks

Sun 2011

Patients with JRA

MTX + TGP

26

12/14

7.6

–

MTX

25

12/13

8.0

26 weeks

Shang 2009

Patients with RA

MTX + TGP

31

11/20

40.0 ± 6.0

4.0 ± 3.0

MTX

28

9/19

39.0 ± 6.0

4.0 ± 3.0

12 weeks

Wang 2012

Patients with JRA

MTX + TGP

31

20/11

10.9 ± 3.3

1.9 ± 1.2

MTX

30

18/12

10.2 ± 2.4

1.8 ± 1.3

12 weeks

Liu 2007

Patients with RA

MTX + TGP

46

–

–

–

MTX

44

–

–

–

24 weeks

Wang 2020

Patients with RA

MTX + TGP

36

16/20

42.8 ± 11.4

13 ± 2.5

MTX

46

17/29

42.8 ± 11.4

12 ± 2

24 weeks

Guo 2020

Patients with RA

MTX + TGP

43

16/27

51.58 ± 3.1

1–14

MTX

43

17/26

51.02 ± 3.16

1-12

12 weeks

Zhu 2009

Patients with RA

MTX + TGP

23

6/17

46 ± 12

–

MTX

23

7/16

47 ± 11

–

24 weeks

Ma 2009

Patients with RA

LEF + TGP

40

–

–

–

LEF

40

–

–

–

12 weeks

Yu 2010

Patients with RA

LEF + TGP

39

11/28

39.0 ± 11.0

1.8 ± 0.8

LEF

40

9/31

46.0 ± 10.0

2.1 ± 0.9

24 weeks

Li 2014

Patients with EORA

LEF + TGP

48

18/30

59.9 ± 6.1

3.9 ± 2.1

LEF

48

20/28

60.2 ± 5.8

4.1 ± 1.9

–

Han 2016

Patients with EORA

LEF + TGP

42

18/24

5.8 ± 7.2

5.36 ± 2.1

LEF

42

12/30

66.2 ± 7.4

5.5 ± 2.3

24 weeks

Wu 2015

Patients with RA

LEF + TGP

50

10/40

–

–

LEF

50

8/42

–

–

12 weeks

Zhao 2006

Patients with RA

LEF + TGP

40

18/22

31.0 ± 8.9

4.0 ± 3.8

LEF

40

14/26

30.0 ± 9.6

5.0 ± 4.9

12 weeks

Zhang 2016

Patients with RA

MTX + LEF + TGP

43

31/12

45.5 ± 4.4

6.3 ± 2.5

MTX + LEF

43

29/14

45.7 ± 4.2

6.1 ± 2.4

3 months

Yu 2018

Patients with RA

MTX + LEF + TGP

42

15/27

58.6 ± 7.5

5.4 ± 1.6

MTX + LEF

38

13/25

58.4 ± 7.5

5.4 ± 1.6

4 weeks

Wang 2011

Patients with RA

MTX + LEF + TGP

33

–

–

–

MTX + LEF

31

–

–

–

12 weeks

Wang YP 2012

Patients with RA

MTX + LEF + TGP

33

–

–

–

MTX + LEF

31

–

–

–

16 weeks

Wang 2015

Patients with RA

MTX + LEF + TGP

40

–

–

–

MTX + LEF

40

–

–

–

12 weeks

Chen 2013

Patients with RA

MTX + LEF + TGP

105

–

–

–

MTX + LEF

89

–

–

–

24 weeks

Xiang 2015

Patients with RA

MTX + LEF + TGP

132

26/106

49.6 ± 12.6

2.2

MTX + LEF

136

39/97

47.6 ± 11.7

2

12 weeks

Tan 2018

Patients with RA

MTX + LEF + TGP

56

19/28

58.4 ± 4.6

8.9 ± 4.3

MTX + LEF

52

20/25

56.8 ± 5.1

10.1 ± 4.5

24 weeks

Xu 2018

Patients with RA

MTX + LEF + TGP

45

15/30

53.46 ± 3.45

5.84 ± 0.35

MTX + LEF

45

16/29

53.76 ± 3.13

5.22 ± 0.28

12 weeks

Yu HY 2018

Patients with RA

MTX + LEF + TGP

40

24/16

47.18 ± 6.92

10.8 ± 3.6

MTX + LEF

40

23/17

47.33 ± 6.67

11.2 ± 3.5

36 weeks

Ju 2019

Patients with RA

MTX + LEF + TGP

60

21/39

40.12 ± 4.37

4.59 ± 0.53

MTX + LEF

60

23/37

39.81 ± 4.42

4.63 ± 0.46

24 weeks

Zhang 2019

Patients with RA

MTX + LEF + TGP

50

28/22

59.62 ± 6.82

5.38 ± 1.56

MTX + LEF

50

30/20

59.71 ± 6.75

5.91 ± 1.42

12 weeks

Liu 2019

Patients with RA

MTX + LEF + TGP

49

25/24

51.62 ± 3.47

2.95 ± 0.64

MTX + LEF

49

26/23

51.75 ± 3.26

2.97 ± 0.58

12 weeks

Zhang XL 2019

Patients with RA

MTX + LEF + TGP

135

41/94

43.12 ± 9.56

–

MTX + LEF

133

40/93

43.12 ± 9.56

–

12 weeks

Zhang 2005

Patients with RA

TG + TGP

30

3/27

51.4 ± 15.2

4.0 ± 3.5

TG

30

2/28

53.6 ± 13.7

3.2 ± 3.2

3 months

Zhang C 2016

Patients with RA

MLX + TGP

49

25/24

57.0 ± 7.5

–

MLX

41

21/20

56.0 ± 6.5

–

12 weeks

Huang 2014

Patients with RA

SSZ + TGP

30

–

–

–

SSZ

60

–

–

–

8 weeks

Shen 2018

Patients with RA

IGU + TGP

30

–

–

–

IGU

30

–

–

–

12 weeks

Li 2020

Patients with RA

PAT+TGP

35

21/14

51.40 ± 4.76

18.67 ± 5.12

PAT

35

15/20

51.52 ± 4.82

18.75 ± 5.16

12 weeks