OBJECTIVETo observe the intervention of Maiwei Dihuang Oral Liquid (MDOL) on hormonotherapy in treating active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

METHODSSixty SLE patients in active stage were randomly and equally allocated into two groups, and administered with prednisone, which was medicated in initial dose of 0.5-1 mg/kg, and with the dose being reduced conditionally 6-8 weeks. To the 30 patients in the treated group 10 ml MDOL twice daily was given additionally. The therapeutic course was 3 months.

RESULTSThe therapeutic effect in the treated group was better than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI) was significantly improved in both groups (P < 0.01), but was superior in the treated group (P < 0.05). The dose of prednisone used was significantly reduced (P < 0.01), and the scores of Yin-deficiency fire-flourishing syndrome were obviously decreased (P < 0.01) in the treated group while in the control group, these indexes were unchanged (P > 0.05), the difference between the two groups was significant (P < 0.01). The occurrence of adverse reaction was significantly lower in the treated group than that in the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONMDOL can obviously improve the effect of hormonotherapy in SLE, it has advantages in reducing the dosage used and antagonizing the adverse reactions of glucocorticoid.