[Treatment of acute radiation pneumonia with Qingfei Huatan Quyu method].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the therapeutic effect of Qingfei Huatan Quyu method (QHQ, a Chinese medicinal therapy for clearing Fei-heat and dissolving phlegm-stasis) combined with hormone-antibiotic therapy (HAT) on radiation pneumonia (RP).


METHODS
Eighty-one patients with RP were randomized into two groups, 41 patients in the control group and 40 in the treatment group were treated with HAT alone and HAT combined with QHQ respectively for 21 days. The severity of RP was evaluated before and after treatment according to the criteria of the radiation therapy oncology group. The effect on TCM symptoms and chest roentgenogram, as well as on plasma levels of interleukin-6 ( IL-6) and transform growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) were detected.


RESULTS
After treatment, number of patients with RP graded as 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 in the treatment group was 23, 10, 4, 2, and 1, respectively, while in the control group, 14, 9, 11, 4, and 3, respectively. The combined therapy showed effects in improving RP grading (P <0.01) and TCM syndromes were superior to those of HAT respectively (P < 0.05). Besides, levels of IL-6 and TGF-beta were lowered after treatment in the treatment group, showing a significant difference to those in the control group (P <0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
QHQ combined with HAT has a definite therapeutic effect on RP. It could efficiently decrease the plasma levels of IL-6 and TGF-beta in patients with RP.
Lin
Sheng-You
SY
Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou. linsy0628@yahoo.com.cn
Han
Xiu-Hua
XH
Yang
Qi-Chu
QC
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D017564:Radiation Pneumonitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta