title: [A clinical trial of oxymatrine in treating chronic viral hepatitis type B].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the therapeutic effect of oxymatrine on chronic viral hepatitis type B.
  
  
  METHODS
  303 patients were randomly allocated either to a treatment group or a control group. The treatment group consisted of 253 patients treated with intravenous or intra-muscular injection of oxymatrine and oral oxymatrine capsule. Oral tiopronin was used in the control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the end of treatment, the rate of normal ALT was similar among the different groups. The rate of normal ALT was 53.3% - 58.3% in the three oxymatrine groups six months after the end of treatment. It was higher than that of the tiopronin group (P < 0.05). After a follow up of six months, the rate of negative HBeAg was 30.0% - 40.9% in the three oxymatrine groups. It was higher than that of the tiopronin group (16.7%). The rate of negative HBV DNA was 39.2% - 49.5% in the three oxymatrine groups. It was also higher than that of the tiopronin group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oxymatrine can improve the liver function and increase the negative rate of HBeAg and HBV DNA in the patients with chronic hepatitis B. The therapeutic effect of oxymatrine will persist after the cessation of administration.
authors.affiliation: The First Hospital, Peking University, Beijing 100034, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Si
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Qiao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000470:Alkaloids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011807:Quinolizines; D000093842:Matrines
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D011807:Quinolizines; C037573:oxymatrine; D000093842:Matrines