ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the protective effect of herbal medicine to tonify qi and strengthen the spleen on liver damage induced by antituberculotic according to the TCM theory "reinforce the earth to reduce the wood".Methods The 100 tuberculosis patients randomized into two groups,50 in each,all took antituberculosis drugs with the liver-protecting medicine,Tiopronin,and the herbal medicines to nourish qi and strengthen the spleen were administered to those in the treatment group.Incidence of liver damage and the changes of liver function including serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST) and total bilirubin(TBiL) were observed for four weeks.Results In the treatment group,the incidence of liver damage was significantly lower than that in the control group(P