Efficacy of ursodeoxycholic acid combined with Tongdan Decoction () on immunological indices and histopathological changes in primary biliary cirrhosis patients.
OBJECTIVE
To observe the efficacy of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) combined with Tongdan: Decoction () on immunological indices and histopathological changes in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) of IIor III histological stage.


METHODS
Sixty PBC patients were assigned randomly and equally: to the control group treated with UDCA alone and the treatment group treated with UDCA combined with Tongdan Decoction. The immunological indices and histopathological changes were detected before and after 24-week treatment, and the follow-up lasted for 1-3 years.


RESULTS
After 24-week treatment, CD4(+)CD28(-) in the peripheral blood was lowered and CD4(+)CD25(+) was increased in both groups, and better effect was shown in the treatment group (P<0.01). The levels of IgM, IgG, and IgA decreased markedly after 96-week treatment in the treatment group (P< 0.05, P< 0.01), while in the control group, only the latter two showed significant decrease after 148 week (all P<0.05). At the end of the 3-year follow-up, the medians of histopathological <inflammation grading and fibrosis staging declined to a lower rank, and the effect on inflammation was superior in the treatment group to the control group shown by non-parameters Wilcoxon paired symbols test ( Z=2.761,P=0.006).


CONCLUSIONS
Combined therapy of Tongdan Decoction and UDCA showed a better therapeutic effect: than UDCA monotherapy on PBC, especially in improving immunological indices and histopathological hepatic changes.
Department of Liver Disease, Shenzhen Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, 518033, China.
Guang-Dong
GD
Tong
Hai-Hong
HH
Tang
Chun-Shan
CS
Wei
Ying-Jie
YJ
Chen
Jin-Song
JS
He
Xiao-Zhou
XZ
Zhou
Ying-Jun
YJ
Zheng
Da-Qiao
DQ
Zhou
D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014580:Ursodeoxycholic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D015703:Antigens, CD; D015415:Biomarkers; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; C574739:tongdan; D014580:Ursodeoxycholic Acid