ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effect of Qiling Decoction (QD) combined highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) on expression levels of peripheral blood Th17 and Treg cells in HIV/AIDS patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 55 HIV/AIDS patients were randomly assigned to the treatment group (28 cases) and the combination group (27 cases). Besides, 21 HIV negative patients were recruited as the healthy control group. Those in the treatment group received HARRT alone, while those in the combination group received HAART combined QD. The observation lasted for 24 weeks. Meanwhile, according to peripheral blood CD4+ T cell counts before treatment, HIV/AIDS patients were assigned to three subgroups. For patients in subgroup 1, 1 cells/microL < CD4+ T cell counts < or = 100 cells/microL; For patients in subgroup 2, 101 cells/microL < CD4+ T cell counts < or = 200 cells/lL; For patients in subgroup 3, 201 cells/microL < CD4+ T cell counts < or = 350 cells/microL. Expression of peripheral blood Th17 and Treg cells, and number of CD4+ T cell counts were detected using flow cytometry (FCM)in HIV/AIDS patients at the pre-treatment baseline, week 4, 12, and 24, as well as those in the healthy control group.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the healthy control group, CD4+ T cell counts and the baseline expression level of Th17 cells in the peripheral blood of HIV/AIDS patients significantly decreased, the expression level of Treg cells significantly increased P < 0.01). Compared with before treatment in the same group, CD4+ T cell counts all increased at week 4, 12, and 24 in the two treatment groups, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). There was no statistical difference in the effective rate at various CD4+ T cell levels between the two groups (P > 0.05). There was no statistical difference in expression levels of Th17 and Treg cells between the combination group and the treatment group at any time point (all P >0.05). The Th17/Treg ration significantly increased in the combination group after 24 weeks of treatment, showing statistical difference when compared with the treatment group (U = 2.135, P = 0.038).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>QD could improve the immune balance of Th17/Treg cells, which might be one of its mechanisms for improving HIV/AIDS patients' immunity.</p>
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome , Drug Therapy , Allergy and Immunology , Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active , CD4 Lymphocyte Count , Case-Control Studies , Drugs, Chinese Herbal , Therapeutic Uses , HIV Infections , Drug Therapy , Allergy and Immunology , Phytotherapy , T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory , Cell Biology , Th17 Cells , Cell BiologyABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the alone and joint diagnostic value of serum golgi protein 73 (GP73), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and the percentage of lectin-reactive aipha-fetoprotein (AFP-L3) of primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC), and provide a novel method for diagnosis for PHC and screening for high-risk population.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>ELISA was used to detect the serum level of GP73, AFP and AFP-L3% in 81 cases of PHC,176 cases chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis, 30 cases other tumber cancer and 40 cases of health people.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The sensitivity of GP73, AFP and AFP-L3% in PHC is 77.78%, 62.69% and 51.85%, and the specificity is 84.55%, 86.99% and 96.34%, respectively. Joint detection could increase the sensitivity up to 88.89%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>GP73 was a high sensitivity mark for dignosis of PHC, while AFP-L3% was a high specificity mark for dignosis of PHC. The joint detection could improve PHC diagnostic performance.</p>