[Effect of langchuangding on serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor and neopterin level in patients of systemic lupus erythematosus].
OBJECTIVE
In order to explore the therapeutic mechanism of Langchuangding (LCD) in treating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) by observation of its effect on serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) and neopterin level in SLE patients.


METHODS
Forty-five patients of SLE were randomly divided into two groups, the 25 cases in the treated group were treated with LCD plus glucocorticoid (GCC) and the 20 cases in the control group were treated with GCC alone. The levels of sIL-2R and neopterin were observed before and after treatment by double antibody sandwich ELISA.


RESULTS
SLE patient showed higher levels of sIL-2R and neopterin than normal, and being higher in active stage than in remission stage. The level of neopterin was positively correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (r = 0.86, P < 0.01). After treatment, the levels of sIL-2R and neopterin were lowered significantly in the treated group than those in the control group (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
LCD could effectively reduce the serum levels of sIL-2R and neopterin in SLE patients, which would be beneficial to cellular immune functional regulation and induce the disturbed internal environment of immunity to homeostasis.
Wen
C P
CP
Institute of Clinical TCM, Zhejiang TCM College, Hangzhou 310053.
Fan
Y S
YS
Li
X M
XM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019798:Neopterin / Q000097:blood*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood*
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D019798:Neopterin; D011241:Prednisone