He Jie Tang in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B patients.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the effect of He Jie Tang (decoction for medication) on serum levels of T lymphocyte subsets, NK cell activity and cytokines in chronic hepatitis B patients.


METHODS
Eighty-five patients with chronic hepatitis B were divided randomly into two groups. Fifty patients in group I were treated with He Jie Tang (HJT) and 35 patients in group II were treated with combined medication. The levels of T-lymphocyte subsets (CD(3)(+), CD(4)(+), CD(8)(+)), NK cell activity, cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-8, sIL-2R) were observed before and after the treatment. Another 20 normal persons served as group 3.


RESULTS
The level of CD(4)(+) cells and NK cell activity were lower, whereas the level of CD(8)(+) cells in patients was higher than that in normal persons (t = 2.685, 3.172, and 2.754 respectively; P<0.01). The levels of TNF-alpha, IL-8, and sIL-2R in chronic hepatitis B patients were higher than those in normal persons (t = 3.526, 3.170, and 2.876 respectively; P<0.01). After 6 months of treatment, ALT, AST, and TB levels in the two groups were obviously decreased (t = 3.421, 3.106, and 2.857 respectively; P<0.01). The level of CD(4)(+) cells and NK cell activity were increased whereas the level of CD(8)(+) cells decreased (t = 2.179, 2.423, and 2.677 respectively; P<0.05) in group I. The levels of TNF-alpha, IL-8, and sIL-2R in group I were decreased significantly after the treatment (t = 2.611, 2.275, and 2.480 respectively; P<0.05) but had no significant difference in group II after the treatment (t = 1.906, 1.833, and 2.029 respectively; P>0.05). The total effective rate had no significant difference between the two groups (c2 = 2.882, P>0.05) but the markedly effective rate was significantly different between the two groups (c2 = 5.340, P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
HJT is effective in treating chronic hepatitis B. HJT seems to exert its effect by improving the cellular immune function and decreasing inflammatory cytokines in chronic hepatitis B patients. The function of HJT in protecting liver function in the process of eliminating virus needs to be further studied.
Chen
Ze-Xiong
ZX
Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, China.
Zhang
Shi-Jun
SJ
Lao
Shao-Xian
SX
Hu
Hong-Tao
HT
Zhang
Cui-Yi
CY
Guan
Shi-He
SH
Gu
Yan-Li
YL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000378:metabolism; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D030021:Pinellia; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D016209:Interleukin-8; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha