Effects of Qingshen Granules on Immune Function in Patients with Comorbid Chronic Renal Failure and Damp-Heat Syndrome: A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial

Dong Wang; Yiping Wang; Chuanping Li; Shifu Liu; Lei Zhang; Hua Jin

doi:10.1155/2020/5057894

Effects of Qingshen Granules on Immune Function in Patients with Comorbid Chronic Renal Failure and Damp-Heat Syndrome: A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Oct 12:2020:5057894. doi: 10.1155/2020/5057894. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Dong Wang¹, Yiping Wang¹, Chuanping Li², Shifu Liu³, Lei Zhang¹, Hua Jin¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230031, China.
² Department of Nephrology, Lu'an Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Lu'an 237006, China.
³ Department of Nephrology, Wuhu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhu 241000, China.

Abstract

Objective: The current study sought to compare the effects of the addition of Qingshen granules to conventional Western medicine on immune function in patients with comorbid chronic renal failure and damp-heat syndrome and to explore the possible mechanisms responsible for any differences observed.

Methods: Through a multicenter, randomized, controlled study, a total of 282 eligible patients were divided into experimental (n = 136) and control groups (n = 146). All of the patients were treated with conventional Western medical therapy. The experimental group also received Qingshen granules three times daily for 12 weeks. Clinical efficacy was observed in the two groups. Peripheral blood levels of CD4⁺ T cells, CD8⁺ T cells, Th17 cells, nuclear factor-κB p65 (NF-κB p65) activity, serum interleukin-17 (IL-17), serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6), fibronectin (FN), and type IV collagen (Col-IV) were detected in both groups.

Results: The total clinical curative effective rate was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the experimental group (79.41%) than in the control group (67.12%). Before treatment, there were no significant differences in CD4⁺/CD8⁺ T cell ratio, Th17 cell level, NF-κB p65 activity, serum IL-17, IL-6, TNF-α, TRAF6, FN, and Col-IV between the experimental and control groups (p > 0.05); however, all of the measures were significantly higher than those observed in a healthy comparison group (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). After treatment, the above indexes in the experimental group were significantly lower than those before treatment (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). Similarly, NF-κB p65 activity, serum IL-17, TNF-α, TRAF6, FN, and Col-IV in the control group were significantly lower than the levels observed prior to treatment (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01); however, while all of the other indexes were lower than those observed before treatment, the differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: Qingshen granules adjust immune dysfunction, improve immunity mediated inflammatory response, and attenuate renal fibrosis in patients with comorbid chronic renal failure and damp-heat syndrome.