RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Discussing the effects of Ziyinqingre prescription on the level of airway resistance (Rrs), airway response threshold (Dmin), airway conductance (sGrs) and the level of inflammatory cytokines interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) of the bronchial hyper-responsiveness (BHR) cough patients. METHOD: 84 subjects diagnosed as BHR were randomly divided into 42 Chinese Traditional medicine group and 42 control group. The Chinese Traditional Medicine group received Ziyinqingre prescription twice a day and the control group received 10mg Montelukast Sodium tablets once a day for two weeks. Observe the clinical symptoms improvement and the changes of the level of the Rrs, Dmin, sGrs and IL-4, IFN-γ. RESULTS: After receiving the medicine, the symptoms of the Chinese medicine group were obviously alleviated, the outcome was more satisfied than that of the control group. Compared with the control group, the level of Dmin increased and sGrs level decreased more obviously (P<0.05); the level of IL-4 decreased and IFN^level increased more obviously in the Chinese medicine group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Ziyinqingre prescription can not only improve BHR patients' symptoms, but reduce the level of bronchial responsiveness, which proved a better curative effect of Chinese medicine. The mechanism is probably due to relieving the airway inflammation by keeping the balance between Th1 and Th2 cells.