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Abstract : |
AIM: To explore the effect of Hejie decoction (HJD) (mediation decoction) on T cellular immune state of chronic hepatitis B patients. METHODS: Sixty-five patients with chronic hepatitis B were randomly divided into 2 groups. Forty patients in the treatment group were treated by HJD, and 25 patients in the control group were treated by routine Western medicine. The TCRVbeta (7) gene expression, T lymphocyte subsets (CD(3)(+), CD(4)(+), CD(8)(+), CD(4)(+)/CD(8)(+)) levels were observed before and after treatment. RESULTS: The level of CD(4)(+) cells was lower whereas the level of CD(8)(+) cells was higher in patients than in the normal group. There was no significant difference between the levels of CD(3)(+) cells in patients and normal persons. After 6 months of treatment, ALT, AST, TB levels of the 2 groups were obviously decreased, and the level of CD(4)(+) cells was increased whereas the level of CD(8)(+) cells was decreased in the treatment group. However, the level of CD(4)(+) cells and CD(8)(+) cells had no significant difference in the control group. TCRVbeta(7) expressions were detected in 6 patients of the treatment group, whose HBV-DNA and HBeAg turned negative and ALT became normal. HBeAg in another 3 patients turned negative while HBV-DNA did not, and TCRVbeta(7) expressions were not detectable. TCRVbeta(7) expression could not be detected in the control group, HBV-DNA of the control group did not turn negative. HBeAg in 1 patient turned negative while HBV-DNA did not, and TCRVbeta(7) expressions were not detectable. The total effective rate was not significantly different between the 2 groups and the markedly effective rate was significantly different (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: HJD is effective for treating chronic hepatitis B, and its effect seems to relate with the improvement of the TCRVbeta(7) expression of chronic hepatitis B patients, thus activating T cells and eliminating HBV. T cellular immune function plays an important role in HBV infection and virus elimination., |
