title: [Clinical study of integrated traditional and Western medicine therapy on hepatolenticular degeneration].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the curative effect of integrated traditional and western medicine (TCM-WM) therapy on hepatolenticular degeneration (HLD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty patients with HLD were divided randomly into two groups (TCM-WM group and WM group), TCM-WM group (40 cases) were given orally dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) and Gandou ([symbol: see text]) decoction for 1 month. The efficacy was compared with that of 40 cases treated with DMSA as the control. The changes of urinary trace and macro-elements before and after treatment were observed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total effective rate of TCM-WM group was significantly higher than that of WM group (P < 0.05), especially more patients with hepatic type responded well to treatment with TCM-WM than with only chelating agent DMSA. Urinary trace and macro-elements were all obviously elevated in patients of two groups after treatment (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TCM-WM therapy appears extremely promising as new cupruretic method for treatment of HLD. It is particularly suitable for treating the patient with hepatic type.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital, Anhui College of TCM, Hefei.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D003300:Copper / Q000652:urine; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006527:Hepatolenticular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D004113:Succimer / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D002614:Chelating Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D003300:Copper; D004113:Succimer