Clinical features of drug induced liver injury by traditional Chinese medicines and western medicines / 实用医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To compare the clinical features of drug induced hepatitis caused by traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) and western medicines. Methods A total of 181 patients hospitalized with drug in-duced hepatitis between January and December 2015 were enrolled. Among the patients ,75 cases were in TCM group,66 cases in western medicine group and 40 cases in combined group(accepted both TCM and western medi-cine treatment). Liver biopsies were performed and Roussed Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM) scores showed that all patients were with scores higher than 3. The data including gender,age,clinical manifesta-tions,physical signs,laboratory tests and image characteristics were analyzed individually. Results There was no significant difference in age,the pattern of liver injury,and the course of liver damage among the three groups (P>0.05). Anorexia was common symptom in all the three groups without any significant difference(P>0.05). Jaundice was most frequently observed in TCM group while fever was most commonly found in western medicine group,which both had significant difference(P0.05). Compared with western medicine group ,the patients in TCM group had a higher level of platelet counts ,serum levels of total bilirubin ,total bile acids(TBA)and serum iron(P<0.05), and less proportion of eosinophils and lower level alkaline phosphatase(P< 0.05). Conclusions The age,the pattern of liver injury,the course of liver damage and aminotransferase levels in patients with drug induced hepati-tis caused by TCM and western medicines were similar;however,western medicines were more likely to cause al-lergic responses and hyperbilirubinemia occurred more frequently in patients with drug induced hepatitis caused by TCM.