title: Cimicifuga foetidaL. plus adefovir effectively inhibits the replication of hepatitis B virus in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to assess the anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) effect ofCimicifuga foetidaL. (C. foetida) in the patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). A total of 60 randomly selected patients with CHB were recruited and divided into groups I and II. The patients in group I received a monotherapy of adefovir (ADV), and the patients in group II received a combination therapy of ADV andC. foetidafor >48 weeks. Intrahepatic (IH) HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), serum HBV DNA, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), alanine aminotransferase levels and serum interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) levels were quantified during the test. Following the treatment, a significant reduction of the median IH cccDNA level was identified in group II (P=0.017), but not in group I (P=0.05, and P=0.01 between the 2 groups), and a significant reduction of log10HBsAg was identified in groups I (P=0.012) and II (P<0.0001, and P=0.20 between the 2 groups). A significant increase of the median serum IFN-γ level was found in group II (P=0.0005), but not in group I (P=0.06, and P=0.004 between the 2 groups), and a significant reduction of the median TGF-β level was identified in groups I (P<0.0001) and II (P<0.0001, and P=0.002 between the 2 groups). A total of 24 patients in group I, and 27 patients in group II achieved a sustained virological response (P=0.0386), and 20 patients in group I and 24 in group II achieved hepatitis B e antigen seroclearance (P=0.0442). In conclusion,C. foetidacan effectively inhibit HBV transcription and replication in the patients by stimulating the release of the inflammatory cytokines, such as IFN-γ.
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Surgery, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei 442000, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiufang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei 442000, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xianfu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.affiliation: Department of Breast Surgery, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei 442000, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zequn
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ruan
keywords: Cimicifuga foetida L.; covalently closed circular DNA; hepatitis B virus; interferon-γ; transforming growth factor-β