ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the intervention of Maiwei Dihuang Oral Liquid (MDOL) on hormonotherapy in treating active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty SLE patients in active stage were randomly and equally allocated into two groups, and administered with prednisone, which was medicated in initial dose of 0.5-1 mg/kg, and with the dose being reduced conditionally 6-8 weeks. To the 30 patients in the treated group 10 ml MDOL twice daily was given additionally. The therapeutic course was 3 months.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The therapeutic effect in the treated group was better than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI) was significantly improved in both groups (P < 0.01), but was superior in the treated group (P < 0.05). The dose of prednisone used was significantly reduced (P < 0.01), and the scores of Yin-deficiency fire-flourishing syndrome were obviously decreased (P < 0.01) in the treated group while in the control group, these indexes were unchanged (P > 0.05), the difference between the two groups was significant (P < 0.01). The occurrence of adverse reaction was significantly lower in the treated group than that in the control group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>MDOL can obviously improve the effect of hormonotherapy in SLE, it has advantages in reducing the dosage used and antagonizing the adverse reactions of glucocorticoid.</p>