Effect of modified Sijunzi Decoction on myelosuppression in moderate- and advanced-stage lung cancer patients with Qi and Yin deficiency and investigation of the underlying mechanism / 中国基层医药

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the effects of modified Sijunzi Decoction on myelosuppression in moderate- and advanced-stage lung cancer patients with Qi and Yin deficiency and analyze the underlying mechanism. Methods:A total of 100 moderate- and advanced-stage lung cancer patients with Qi and Yin deficiency who received treatment in Lishui Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China were included in this study. They were randomly assigned to receive chemotherapy with paclitaxel combined with cisplatin (control group, n = 50) or treatment with modified Sijunzi Decoction based on chemotherapy with paclitaxel combined with cisplatin (observation group, n = 50). Myelosuppression, traditional Chinese medicine symptom score, cellular immune function, serum levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and the dosage of recombinant human granulocyte-colony stimulating factor. Results:After treatment, the incidence of leucopenia, thrombocytopenia, hemoglobinopenia and neutropenia in the observation group were 60% (30/50), 18% (9/50), 18% (9/50) and 62% (31/50), respectively, which were significantly lower than those in the control group [90% (45/50), 30% (15/50), 32% (16/50) and 92% (46/50), χ2 = 6.979, 7.025, 6.534, 6.134, all P < 0.001]. The complete remission rate in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [30% (15/50) vs. 8% (4/50), χ2 = 9.018, P < 0.001]. The traditional Chinese medicine symptom score in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group ( t = 6.982, P < 0.05). CD 8+, CD 4+ and CD 3+ levels in the observation group were (25.16 ± 2.87)%, (38.76 ± 4.16)%, (48.83 ± 5.61)%, respectively, and they were (28. 89 ± 4.02)%, (34.10 ± 4.59)%, (41.12 ± 77)%, respectively in the control group. There were significant differences in CD 8+, CD 4+ and CD 3+ levels between the observation and control groups ( t = 6.392, 6.235, 5.983, all P < 0.05). The dosage of recombinant human granulocyte-colony stimulating factor in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group [(2 567.34 ± 308.25) μg vs. (3 917.82 ± 411.67) μg, t = 11.258, P < 0.05]. Serum levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor were (25.53 ± 7.86) ng/L and (278.34 ± 28.74) ng/L, which were significantly higher than those in the control group [(21.30 ± 3.12) ng/L, (204.17 ± 11.98) ng/L, t = 9.136, 8.856, both P < 0.05]. Conclusion:Modified Sijunzi Decoction for the treatment of moderate- and advanced-stage lung cancer patients with Qi and Yin deficiency can decrease the incidence of myelosuppression possibly through increasing serum levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and improving the immune function.