OBJECTIVETo investigate the efficacy and adverse reaction of total glucosides of paeony (TGP) in treating patients with non-systemic involved Sjögren syndrom (NSI-SS).

METHODSRetrospective study was conducted on 27 patients with NSI-SS who received TGP treatment for over two years as the TGP group, and 20 patients received hydroxychloroquine sulfate (HCQs) for over two years in the HCQs group for positive control. Salivary flow, Schirmer's test and serum gamma-globulin at different time points, i.e. before treatment, and at the end of 1st, 3rd, 6th, 12th and 24th month respectively, were compared between groups, and adverse reactions associated with TGP and HCQ were also observed.

RESULTSIn the TGP group, saliva secretion was significantly increased and serum gamma-globulin decreased significantly from the 6th month (P <0.01), Schirmer's test improved significantly after 12 months (P< 0.01). While in the HCQs group serum gamma-globulin was significantly decreased from the 3rd month (P <0.01), saliva secretion and Schirmer's test improved significantly after six months (P<0.01). However, the 3 indexes determined at the end of the 3rd month were insignificantly different from those before treatment. Mild diarrhea occurred in 4 cases in the TGP group, they were improved two weeks later, but one case with severe diarrhea was dropped. While in the HCQs group, 2 patients were dropped, one for the raising of alanine aminotransferase at the 6th month and the other for decreased vision at the 9th month.

CONCLUSIONEfficacy of TGP is equivalent to that of HCQs in treating NSI-SS, but with higher safety and the effect initiating time being about 6 - 12 months.