title: [Treatment of beta-thalassemia with Bushen Yisui therapy: a randomized controlled trial].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the efficacy and safety of Yisui Shengxue Granule (YSSXG), a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, in treating beta-thalassemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized single-blinded trial was designed. Sixty patients with beta-thalassemia were divided into two groups: 30 patients in YSSXG-treated group and 30 in placebo parallel-control group. The patients in the two groups were assigned to receive either YSSXG or placebo for three months. The patients' symptoms and their blood indexes such as hemoglobin (Hb), red blood cell (RBC), reticulocytes (Ret) and fetal hemoglobin (HBF) were examined before and after the treatment. Meanwhile, the liver and spleen were examined with B-mode ultrasound.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the YSSXG-treated group, the blood indexes (Hb, RBC, Ret and HBF) and the symptoms of the patients were improved after three-month treatment, with statistical significance compared to those before treatment (P<0.01); hepatauxe and splenomegaly were also relieved (P<0.05) and no adverse reactions were monitored. In the placebo parallel-control group, no significant improvement of the blood indexes and symptoms, as well as the hepatauxe and splenomegaly had been found (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  YSSXG demonstrates obvious clinical efficacy and no adverse reactions in treating beta-thalassemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100053, China. gamwuzhikui@sina.com
authors.forename: Zhi-kui
authors.initials: ZK
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yong-mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xin-hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wen-jun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Rong-xin
authors.initials: RX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Li-min
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.forename: Wen-juan
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: You-wen
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yu-ying
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xin-xia
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C527186:bushen yisui