title: [Clinical effect of Tripterygiitotorum combined with prednisone and its effect on serum IL-6 level in treating patients with myasthenia gravis].
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Luzhou Medical College, Sichuan 646000.
authors.forename: Zuo-xiao
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Xian-ji
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Xiong
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D006027:Glycosides; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D015850:Interleukin-6; D011241:Prednisone