[Effects of oxymatrine on microinflammatory state in patients undergoing continuous hemodialysis: a randomized controlled trial].
BACKGROUND
Chronic microinflammatory state is common in the patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD), which seriously affects the long-term survival rate of MHD patients. It is important to improve the microinflammatory state in MHD patients.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of oxymatrine on microinflammatory state in patients undergoing continuous hemodialysis.


METHODS
Sixty MHD patients in Blood Purification Center, Wuhan No.1 Hospital, from June to September 2008, were randomized into treatment group (30 cases) and control group (30 cases). Oxymatrine Capsule was orally administered to the patients in the treatment group 0.4 g once a day for 3 months, while the patients in the control group were not given oxymatrine.


METHODS
The serum concentrations of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), albumin (Alb), pre-albumin (PAB), total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) were detected before and after 3-month treatment.


RESULTS
Three patients in the treatment group had a stomachache on the first day of treatment, and two out of the three quitted the trial. The stomachache disappeared in one patient after stopping taking the drug, and did not recur after continuing to receive the intervention. Two patients in the treatment group had skin rash with pruritus on the second day of treatment. The rash disappeared after the patients stopped taking the drug, and did not recur after continuing to receive the intervention. A total of 58 cases accessed to the statistical analysis, while 2 cases were excluded. In the treatment group, the concentrations of hs-CRP, IL-1beta and TNF-alpha significantly decreased (P<0.01) and the mean values of Alb, PAB, TC and TG significantly increased after the treatment as compared with those before the treatment (P<0.01), but there were no significant differences in all parameters between before and after treatment in the control group. There were significant differences in all parameters between the treatment group and the control group after treatment (P<0.01, P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Oxymatrine can improve the microinflammatory state in the patients undergoing continuous hemodialysis.
Zhou
Wen-Xiang
WX
Department of Nephrology, Wuhan No.1 Hospital, Wuhan 430022, Hubei Province, China. wenxiangzhou@hotmail.com
Zheng
Wen-Bin
WB
Huang
Xiao-Mei
XM
Zhang
Ying
Y
Nie
Xiang-Zhi
XZ
Li
Hong-Bing
HB
He
Da
D
Xie
Lan-Qian
LQ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000470:Alkaloids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000097:blood; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011807:Quinolizines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult; D000093842:Matrines
D000470:Alkaloids; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D011807:Quinolizines; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C037573:oxymatrine; D000093842:Matrines