RÉSUMÉ
ObjectiveTo investigate the immunological characteristics of the patients with aplastic anemia (AA) and elevated hemogram parameters treated with Yiqi Yangxue prescription combined with Western medicine and the predictive effects of immunological indexes on elevated hemogram parameters, thus providing a reference for the prediction of the treatment efficacy and the adjustment of the treatment regimen. MethodA retrospective study was conducted, involving 77 AA patients treated with Yiqi Yangxue prescription combined with Western medicine for 6 months in 19 medical institutions including Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from September 2018 to March 2021. The patients were assigned into two groups according to the elevations in hemogram parameters [including hemoglobin (HGB), white blood cell count (WBC), platelet (PLT), and absolute neutrophil count (ANC)] after 6 months of treatment. One group had the elevation <50%, and the other group had the elevation ≥50% compared with the baseline. The clinical and immunological characteristics were compared between the two groups. Result① Compared with the group with HGB elevation<50%, the group with HGB elevation≥50% showed elevated level of CD3+ human leukocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR)+ and increased proportion of patients with T-helper cell type 2 (Th2)<5%, CD8+≥50%, and CD3+HLA-DR+≥9% before treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01). The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that CD8+≥50% before treatment was the independent influencing factor for HGB elevation ≥50% [odds ratio (OR)=12.000, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.218, 64.928, P<0.01]. ② Compared with the group with WBC elevation<50%, the group with WBC elevation≥50% showed increased proportion of patients with CD3+HLA-DR+<6% and T-box transcription factor (T-bet)≥200% before treatment (P<0.05). The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that CD3+HLA-DR+<6% (OR=2.998, 95%CI 1.036, 8.680, P<0.05) and T-bet≥200% (OR=3.634, 95%CI 1.076, 12.273, P<0.05) before treatment were independent influencing factors for WBC elevation≥50%. ③ Compared with the group with PLT elevation<50%, the group with PLT elevation≥50% presented lowered Th1 and CD3+HLA-DR+ levels and increased proportion of patients with Th1<12%, CD4+≥6%, and CD3+HLA-DR+<5% before treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01). The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that CD3+HLA-DR+<5% before treatment was the independent influencing factor for PLT elevation≥50% (OR=16.190, 95%CI of 3.430 to 76.434, P<0.01). ④ Compared with the group with ANC elevation<50%, the group with ANC elevation≥50% showed no significant changes in the hemogram parameters before treatment. ConclusionAs for the AA patients with rapid elevation in HGB, Yiqi Yangxue prescription combined with Western medicine demonstrate significant effects in the patients with Th2<5% and CD3+HLA-DR+≥9%, especially those with CD8+≥50%. As for the AA patients with rapid elevation in WBC, the therapy was particularly effective in the patients with CD3+HLA-DR+<6% and T-bet≥200%. As for the AA patients with rapid growth in PLT, the therapy was particularly effective in the patients with Th1<12% and CD4+≥6%, especially those with CD3+HLA-DR+<5%.
RÉSUMÉ
ObjectiveTo investigate the predictive indicators of early efficacy of Bushen Shengxue prescription combined with western medicine in the treatment of aplastic anemia, and provide prognosis indicators for the treatment of aplastic anemia (AA) with kidney-tonifying therapy in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) combined with western medicine. MethodA total of 126 patients treated by Bushen Shengxue prescription combined with western medicine in 19 hospitals including Xiyuan Hospital of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from September 2018 to March 2021 were selected for a retrospective study. The therapy was proven to be effective after six months of treatment. According to the efficacy after 4 months of treatment, the patients were assigned into a 4-month effective group and a 4-month ineffective group. The age, sex, disease severity (including severe aplastic anemia and non-severe aplastic anemia), course of disease, degree of bone marrow nucleated cell proliferation, baseline hemogram levels [including white blood cell count (WBC), absolute neutrophil count (ANC), hemoglobin (HGB), platelets (PLT), and reticulocytes (RET)], T lymphocytes subsets, and the expression levels of T-box transcription factor (T-bet) and GATA-binding protein-3 (GATA-3) were compared between the two groups before treatment. ResultThe proportions of patients within the age ranges of [20, 40) and [60, 80) were higher in the 4-month effective group (P<0.05). The sex, disease severity, course of disease, and comorbidities had no significant differences between the two groups. The 4-month effective group had higher baseline levels of HGB, WBC, ANC, and PLT than the 4-month ineffective group (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in the RET level between the two groups before treatment. Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that the PLT level before treatment was an independent factor affecting the onset time, while other indicators did not affect the onset time. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was established to analyze the value of PLT level before treatment for predicting the onset time, and the area under the curve was 0.691. With the critical value of 40.5×109/L, the sensitivity and specificity of the prediction that the therapy will take effect within 4 months were 0.569 and 0.893, respectively. The two groups of patients were graded according to age {(14, 20), [20, 40), [40, 60), and [60, 80)} and PLT level before treatment (PLT<40×109/L, PLT≥40×109/L). The proportion of the patients with PLT≥40×109/L before treatment in the 4-month effective group was significantly higher than that in the 4-month ineffective group (P<0.05). The degree of bone marrow nucleated cell proliferation before treatment had no significant difference between the two groups. The level of total T lymphocytes in the 4-month effective patients was lower than that in the 4-month ineffective patients before treatment (P<0.05). The levels of Th1 cells, Th2 cells, CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells showed no significant differences between the two groups before treatment. The T-bet expression level in the 4-month effective group was higher than that in the 4-month ineffective group before treatment (P<0.05), while the expression level of GATA-3 showed no significant difference between the two groups before treatment. ConclusionBushen Shengxue prescription combined with western medicine will achieve faster effect for the patients within the age ranges of [20, 40) or [40, 60), with higher levels of HGB, WBC, ANC, and PLT (especially those with PLT≥40×109/L), lower level of total T lymphocytes, or higher T-bet expression level before treatment.