Clinical effects of Chinese medicine prescription of both nourishing Yin and removing stasis combined with tetrandrine in treatment of silicosis

Objective To observe the clinical effect of Chinese medicine prescription of both nourishing Yin and removing stasis (Yangyin Huayu decoction)combined with tetrandrine on pulmonary fibrosis of pneumoconiosis.

Methods A total of 120 pneumoconiosis patients with pulmonary fibrosis were randomly divided into experimental treatment group (n=60) and routing treatment(reference) group(n=60). Besides corresponding basic antitussive, anti-asthmatic and anti-inflammatoric therapy, the patients in the experimental treatment group were given Yangyin Huayu decoction. After three months and six months of the treatment, the result of 6-minute walking test, the clinic improvement, the changes of SGRQ scores, pulmonary function and pulmonary fibrosis level were compared.

Results After 3 months treatment, the patients in the reference group had only improvement of cough and sputum symptom scores compared with pre-treatment, while the patients in treatment group had improvement of 6-minute walking test, symptom score, activity score, SGRQ total score, FVC, TGF-beta 1 and IL-6 compared with pre-treatment (P < 0.05). After 6 months treatment, the patients in both groups had improvement of 6-minute walking test, symptom score, activity score, SGRQ total score, FVC, FEV₁, FEV₁, FEV₁/FVC, FEV₁, alpha-SMA and KGF compared with pre-treatment(P < 0.05), and most of the above indexes in the treatment group were more improved than those in the reference group (P < 0.05). Only the patients in the experimental treatment group had improvement of TGF-beta 1 and IL-6 level compared with pre-treatment(P < 0.05). The incidence of liver function damage in the treatment group was also lower than that in the reference group(P < 0.05).

Conclusion Yangyin Huayu Decoction could relieve the clinical symptoms and improve the quality of life of pneumoconiosis patients with pulmonary fibrosis.