Role of traditional Chinese medicine in incomplete immune reconstitution of HIV/AIDS:a review

Despite continuous progress,the prevention and treatment of human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS)remain the world’s most serious public health challenges.A key problem is the degree of immune function reconstruction after antiretroviral therapy.Antiretroviral therapy has enriched the treatment of HIV/AIDS and improved the present conditions and the life quality of HIV/AIDS patients.However,some patients still fail to achieve normalization of CD4+T lymphocyte counts although persistent virological suppression.These patients are referred to as immunological non-responders,and usually present with severe immunological dysfunction.To date,since the underlying mechanism of incomplete immune reconstitution in HIV/AIDS has not been fully elucidated,remaining to be the focus and difficulties of current research.It is still a challenge to explore a safe,effective,and reliable therapeutic method for immunological non-responders.Due to fewer side effects and lower drug resistance,traditional Chinese medicine is often sought to provide alternative pharmacotherapy for regulating the immunity of immunological non-responders in China.In this review,we aimed at summarizing the latest and most comprehensive information on traditional Chinese medicine therapeutic methods for promoting immune reconstruction.In addition,outlooks and perspectives for possible future research that related are also discussed.

Evaluation of the Clinical Efficacy of Qingqiao Capsule (清窍胶囊) in Treating Patients with Secretory Otitis Media

Objective： To observe the clinical efficacy of Qingqiao Capsule （清窍胶囊, QQC） in treating patients with secretory otitis media （SOM）. Methods： A total of 90 patients were randomly assigned into the treated group （n：45） and the control group （n=45）. Patients in the treated group were administrated with QQC, 5 capsules each time, 3 times a day for totally 10-14 days, and those in the control group were given per os cefaclor capsules 0.5g each time for adult, 3 times a day, or 20mg/（kg·d） for children, for 10-14 days. The therapeutic efficacy of treatment on the patients was observed and compared after treatment and followed up for 3-6 months. Results： （1） The clinical efficacy in the treated group was superior to that in the control group with significant statistical difference （P〈0.01）; （2） Comparison of the efficacies in patients of three different TCM syndrome types （the external pathogenic wind invasion caused auditory orifice stuffiness type, the Gan-Dan damp-heat steaming up auditory orifice type and the Pi-deficiency dysfunction induced dirty dampness blocking ear type） showed no statistically significant difference（P〉0.05）; （3） The vanishing rate and time needed of the main symptoms and signs in the treated group were superior to those in the control group on ear muffle, tinnitus, hearing impairment, hydrotypanum, pure tone threshold and abnormal tongue figure, and the difference was statistically significant （P〈0.05 or P〈0.01）, only those of earache, otopiesis and abnornal pulse figure were insignificantly different between the two groups （P〉0.05）. Conclusion： QQC is an effective Chinese composite medicine on patients with SOM, and shows no obvious adverse reaction.