title: An 84-month observational study of the changes in CD4 T-lymphocyte cell count of 110 HIV/AIDS patients treated with traditional Chinese medicine.
abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) by observing the changes in CD4 T-lymphocyte cell count of 110 cases with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) treated continuously with TCM for 84 months. Information of 110 HIV/AIDS patients from 19 provinces and cities treated with TCM from 2004 to 2013 was collected. Changes in the indexes of CD4 counts ( ≤ 200, 201-350, 351-500 and > 500 cells/mm(3)) at five time points (0, 12, 36, 60 and 84 months) and different treatments [TCM and TCM plus antiretroviral therapy (ART)] were compared. Repeated measures test indicated no interaction between group and time (P > 0.05). Degrees of increasing and decreasing CD4 count of the two groups at four different frames were statistically significant compared with the baseline. The CD4 count between the two groups was not statistically significant. For CD4 count of ≤ 200 cells/mm(3), the mean CD4 count changes were 21 and 28 cells/mm(3) per year for the TCM group and TCM plus ART group, respectively. For CD4 count of 201-350 cells/mm(3), the mean CD4 count changes were 6 and 25 cells/mm(3) per year for the TCM group and TCM plus ART group, respectively. For CD4 count of 351-500 cells/mm(3), the mean CD4 count changes were -13 and -7 cells/mm(3) per year for the TCM group and TCM plus ART group, respectively. For CD4 count of > 500 cells/mm(3), the mean CD4 count changes were -34 and -17 cells/mm(3) per year for the TCM group and TCM plus ART group, respectively. Long-term use of TCM could maintain or slow the pace of declining CD4 counts in patients with HIV/AIDS, and may achieve lasting effectiveness.
authors.affiliation: TCM Center for AIDS Prevention and Treatment, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Biyan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Xiaoping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Liran
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Xiuhui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Xinghua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Yuxiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Guoliang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yuguang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count / Q000379:methods; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000379:methods*; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal