title: Effect of Chinese herbal medicines for nourishing yin, supplementing qi, and activating blood on reproductive endocrine activity and immune functions in patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of Chinese herbal medicines for nourishing yin, supplementing qi, and activating blood on the reproductive endocrine-immune network and its mechanisms in patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy pSS patients were randomly assigned to two groups using a randomized digital table: the integrative therapy group (36 cases) and the control group (34 cases). Thirty healthy subjects were taken as a normal group. The control group was treated with hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets alone, and the integrative therapy group was treated by Chinese herbal medicines for nourishing yin, supplementing qi, and activating blood combined with hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets. The treatment course was 6 months for both groups. Before and after treatment, serum estradiol (E2), testosterone (T), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin (PRL) by radioimmunoassay and immunoglobulin (IgG) by immunodiffusion, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) by Westergren, interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  E2 and T levels in all patients were lower than those of normal subjects before treatment (P<0.05) and were increased significantly after 6-month treatment (P<0.05). ESR, FSH, LH, IgG, IFN - γ, IL - 4 and ratios of E2/T, and IFN -γ/IL in the patients were higher than those of normal subjects before the treatments (P<0.05), and were reduced significantly after the treatments (P<0.05). The T and IFN - γ levels and E2/T ratio in the patients treated with integrative therapy were reduced significantly compared with the control group (P<0.05). However, the PRL levels before and after treatment were not significantly changed in the two groups (P>0.05). The ratios of E2/T and IFN -γ/IL-4, and levels of IgG and ESR were positively correlated before and after treatment (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ratios of E2/T and IFN -γ/IL-4 might be used as indicators of pSS activity. Chinese herbal medicines for nourishing yin, supplementing qi, and activating blood combined with Western medicine could improve the therapeutic effect by regulating the reproductive endocrine-immune network in pSS patients.
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
authors.forename: Guo-lin
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
authors.forename: Na-yuan
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Zhejiang University of Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, 310053, China. wuguolin28@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: Tian-yi
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Zhejiang University of Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, 310053, China.
authors.forename: Yong-sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
authors.forename: Guo-you
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
authors.forename: Wen-wen
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006886:Hydroxychloroquine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005779:Immunodiffusion; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000032:analysis*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000032:analysis*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000032:analysis*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D011897:Random Allocation; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013607:Tablets; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D013607:Tablets; C069261:interferon gamma (1-39); D015847:Interleukin-4; D013739:Testosterone; D006886:Hydroxychloroquine; D004958:Estradiol; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D011388:Prolactin; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone
keywords: Chinese herbal medicine; activating blood; disease activity; nourishing yin; primary Sjogren’s syndrome; reproductive endocrine-immune network; supplementing qi