ABSTRACT
Objective To observe the effects of Shenqi Fuzheng injection on peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets, T-cell apoptosis and cytokine in patients with sepsis and approach their significance.Methods Forty patients with sepsis admitted into Department of General Surgery of the General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University were randomly divided into two groups: routine group (20 cases, received routine western medicine treatment) and Shenqi Fuzheng treatment group (20 cases, received routine western medicine treatment and intravenous drip of Shenqi Fuzheng injection 250 mL per day), 7 days as a course of treatment in both groups. On the 1st, 3rd and 7th day after treatment, evaluation of acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHE Ⅱ) scores was carried out in the two groups. The percentages of peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subsets CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+ and apoptosis were measured by flow cytometry. Meanwhile, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukins (IL-6 and IL-10) levels were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results APACHE Ⅱ scores of two groups on the 3rd day were apparently decreased in comparison with those on the 1st day after treatment, and this situation persisted until the 7th day after treatment; meanwhile, the decrease in APACHE Ⅱ score in Shenqi Fuzheng treated group was more notable than that in routine group (10.05±3.71 vs. 13.15±4.65,P 0.05). On the 1st, 3rd and 7th day after treatment, the percentage of CD4+ T cells and CD4+/CD8+ ratio were firstly fallen and then elevated up, the percentage of CD8+ T cells was gradually decreased, and the percentages of CD4+ and CD8+ apoptosis showed a trend of rise up first and then fall in the two groups. On the 7th day after treatment, there were significant differences between Shenqi Fuzheng treated group and routine group in terms of the percentage of CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ ratio and the rate of CD4+ apoptosis [CD4+ T cells: (38.3±4.7)% vs. (35.5±5.5)%, CD4+/CD8+: 1.55±0.29 vs. 1.36±0.27, CD4+ T apoptosis: (11.2±3.8)% vs. (14.1±5.5)%, allP 0.05).Conclusion Shenqi Fuzheng injection can effectively reduce the percentage of CD4+ T cell apoptosis, increase the percentage of CD4+ T cells and CD4+/CD8+ ratio, lower the inflammatory factors, improve the immune function and disease severity in patients with sepsis.