Treatment of 37 patients with refractory idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura by shengxueling.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the clinical effect and possible mechanism of Shengxueling (SXL), a Chinese medical preparation mainly consisting of ginseng saponins, in treating refractory idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP).


METHODS
The selected 69 patients with ITP were randomly assigned to two groups, the 37 patients in the treated group were treated orally by SXL with the dose for adult as 60 mg twice a day for two weeks. Then when no marked rise of platelet count after that, the dose would be doubled and administered for another two weeks. Then the dose could be gradually reduced to the initiative level in patients who responded to the treatment, and if they did not, the treatment was regarded as ineffective and be terminated. The 32 patients in the control group were treated with ampeptide elemente instead of SXL, 0.4 g each time three times a day in the first two weeks, and, if that was ineffective, 0.2 g would be added each time and 1.8 g would be administered a day for two more weeks. Four weeks' treatment was regarded as one therapeutic course for both groups and the observation lasted for two successive courses in patients showing positive reslonse.


RESULTS
In the 37 patients in the treated group, markedly effective was obtained in 7 (19.0%), favorably effective in 15 (40.5%), improved in 5 (13.5%) and ineffective in 10 (27.0%), the total effective rate being 59.5%. The corresponding number in the 32 patients in the control group was 4 (12.5%), 6 (18.8%), 3 (9.4%), 19 (59.4%) and 31.3% respectively. Comparison showed the difference in therapeutic efficacy between the two groups was significant (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
SXL is a safe and effective preparation for treatment of ITP, showing an immediate effect which is obviously superior to that of ampeptide elemente with less adverse effect.
Shao
Ke-ding
KD
Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou 310006.
Zhou
Yu-hong
YH
Shen
Yi-ping
YP
Ye
Bao-dong
BD
Gao
Rui-lan
RL
Zhang
Yu
Y
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000601:Amino Acids, Essential / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008533:Megakaryocytes / Q000473:pathology; D010976:Platelet Count; D016553:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000601:Amino Acids, Essential; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C516453:shengxuening