Just a few years ago, Li Peiguo, a 60-year-old retired military officer, was for much of the day confined to bed due to palindromic rheumatism (PR), sudden and rapidly developing arthritis.

The first attack, in the knee joints, occurred in the winter of 1999, and spread to the rest of the body within two months.

Li was in constant pain and there was redness and swelling in all the joints. In addition, the interval between attacks shortened while the duration increased.