The effects of Ginkgo biloba extract added to haloperidol on peripheral T cell subsets in drug-free schizophrenia: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb) administration on T lymphocyte subsets and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels in schizophrenia. METHODS: One hundred and nine schizophrenic inpatients were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of treatment with 360 mg/day of EGb plus a stable dose of 0.25 mg kg(-1) day(-1) of haloperidol and placebo plus the same dose of haloperidol using a double-blind design. Clinical efficacy was determined using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Scale for Assessment of Positive Symptoms, and Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms. T lymphocytes (CD3+), T helper cells (CD4+), T suppressor cells (CD8+), and IL-2-secreting cells were measured using the alkaline phosphatase/antialkaline phosphatase technique; and SOD levels were measured by radioimmunometric assay at baseline and at posttreatment, as compared to 30 sex- and age-matched normal subjects. RESULTS: Patients demonstrated significantly lower CD3+, CD4+, and IL-2-secreting cells, together with CD4/CD8 ratio, and significantly higher blood SOD levels than did healthy controls at baseline. There was a significantly negative relationship between SOD and CD4+ cells in the schizophrenic group at baseline. After a 12-week treatment, CD3+, CD4+, and IL-2-secreting cells, together with CD4/CD8 ratio, showed a significant increase, but a significant decrease in SOD levels in the EGb group. There was only a significant increase in CD4+ cells but no change in SOD levels in the placebo group. There was a significant correlation between the change in CD4+ cells at posttreatment vs pretreatment and a reduction of BPRS total score in the whole patient group. CONCLUSIONS: EGb may improve the decreased peripheral immune functions in schizophrenia. The beneficial effects of EGb on the immune systems and the improvement of schizophrenic symptoms may be medicated through its antioxidant activity.

[Study on the cost-effectiveness, benefit and utility analysis on the infant inoculation hepatitis B vaccine in Shanghai].

OBJECTIVE: To study the cost-effectiveness, benefit and utility of infant hepatitis B vaccination in Shanghai from 1992 to 2001. METHODS: To calculate the cost of hepatitis B vaccination by cost analysis method. Both the numbers of persons with HBsAg positive and patient with hepatitis B, cirrhosis and liver cancer decreased as the index of direct effect. To study the sick-time and the cost of treating hepatitis B, cirrhosis and liver cancer patients, a face to face questionnaire was used and quasi method was adopted to understand the effect of cure and the course of hepatitis B. The cost benefit analysis method was also used to calculate the cost benefit of HBV vaccine. The disability adjusted life years (DALY) was regarded as an index of utility to measure the disease burden. RESULTS: Input of 501,129.49 Yuan might have the result of reducing one liver cancer patient, ten cirrhosis patients, one hundred chronic hepatitis B patients and one thousand HBsAg positive people. The cost of hepatitis B vaccination was 0.24 hundred million Yuan during the past ten years in Shanghai, which had obtained the total benefit value of 41.22 hundred million Yuan, with a cost benefit ratio of 1:172 Yuan. It was estimated that the total disease burden of hepatitis B, cirrhosis and liver cancer patients was 59,762.55 DALY in order to reduce one DALY loss cost of 402.50 Yuan. CONCLUSION: HBV vaccine inoculation in infants seemed to be a low-cost input and high-effect output strategy.