title: [Therapeutic effect and its mechanism exploration on mainly using traditional Chinese medicine of replenishing qi and nourishing yin in treating Graves disease].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the therapeutic effect and its mechanism mainly using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) of replenishing Qi and nourishing Yin (RQNY) with a small dosage of Tapazol for treatment of Graves disease (GD).
  
  
  METHODS
  The changes of thyroid function and the activity of sodium pump of human erythrocyte in the patients with Graves disease were observed and compared before and after treatment between the treated group (42 cases) by combining treatment mainly using TCM of RQNY and a small amount of Tapazol, and a control group (42 cases) by Tapazol alone.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After treatment for half a year, one and two years, the serum levels of T3, T4 in above two groups were markedly decreased than those of before treatment, the therapeutical effect of treated group was superior to that of control group. The activity of sodium pump in human erythrocyte in the GD patients was obviously higher than that of normal group and that of before treatment. After treatment for one and two years mainly by TCM or Western medicine, the erythrocyte sodium pump activity was obviously lower than that of before treatment and that of normal group. The decrease of erythrocyte sodium pump activity in group of combination therapy was markedly lower than that in group of Western medicine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combination therapy was much more effective on the functional remission of thyroid and energy metabolism in GD patients than that of using Tapazol therapy only.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Integration of Traditional and Western Medicine, Shanghai Medical University.
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Zha
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D013956:Antithyroid Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001693:Biological Transport, Active; D002648:Child; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008713:Methimazole / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D013956:Antithyroid Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D008713:Methimazole; D012964:Sodium; D013974:Thyroxine