[Clinical effect of Tripterygiitotorum combined with prednisone and its effect on serum IL-6 level in treating patients with myasthenia gravis].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the clinical effect of Tripterygiitotorum (T II) combined with prednisone in treating patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) and the changes of immune function after treatment.


METHODS
Sixty-eight patients with MG were randomly divided into two groups, the 36 patients in the treated group were treated with T II plus prednisone and the 32 in the control group were treated with prednisone alone. The therapeutic effect, serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and peripheral B lymphocyte levels were observed.


RESULTS
The therapeutic effect in the treated group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). There were significant decrease in serum IL-6 and peripheral B lymphocyte in both groups after treatment (P < 0.05), with the decrements more significant in the treated group (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The therapy of T II plus prednisone is superior to that of prednisone alone in treating MG, it has a more potent effect of immunosuppression.
Li
Zuo-xiao
ZX
Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College, Sichuan 646000.
Tan
Hua
H
Xiong
Xian-ji
XJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006027:Glycosides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D029757:Tripterygium / Q000737:chemistry*
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D006027:Glycosides; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D015850:Interleukin-6; D011241:Prednisone