OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effect of electroacupuncture as an adjuvant treatment with first-line medications on bone metabolism biomarkers and interleukin-17 (IL-17) in the peripheral blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).METHODS:Sixty RA patients were randomized into three groups.The control group was treated with methotrexate plus leflunomide (MTX + LEF),the acupuncture group was treated with simple needling plus MTX + LEF,and the patients in the electroacupuncture (EA) group were treated with EA plus MTX + LEF.EA or acupuncture was applied every other day for a total of 10 times over a treatment period of 8 weeks.RESULTS:In all three treatment groups,serum levels of the bone metabolism markers PICP,N-MID,and B-ALP were elevated and the concentrations of the inflammatory markers β-CTx,IL-17,CRP,and TRACP-5b were reduced after treatment.These differences were significant for the EA group but not the other groups (P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION:EA could effectively reduce the suffering and improve the quality of life of RA patients.It is a promising adjuvant therapy for enhancing the effectiveness of clinical therapeutics.