OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical efficacy of Huangqi Fuzheng Decoction (HQFZD) in treating recurrent genital herpes (RGH) and its influence on related cytokines in peripheral blood.

METHODSEighty-four patients with RGH were randomly assigned to 3 groups, the treated group treated with HQFZD (31 cases), the control group A (25 cases) treated with Aciclovir, and the control group B (28 cases) treated with Aciclovir plus interferon. The course of treatment was 3 weeks for all. The relapse rate was estimated at 6 months after treatment, and levels of IL-4, IL-10, IL-12 and IL-18 in all patients were detected before and after treatment using double-sandwich ELISA.

RESULTSAll patients were cured after treatment. The relapse rate in the treated group and the control group B was lower than that in the control group A (P < 0.01) but insignificant difference was shown between the former two groups. Before treatment, patients' serum levels of IL-4 and IL-10 were significantly higher while those of IL-12 and IL-18 were lower than the normal range (P < 0.01). The abnormal change aforementioned reversed after treatment in the treated group and the control group B (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), showing a superior effect to that in the control group A (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONHQFZD can reduce the relapse rate of RGH without obvious adverse reaction, and it could also enhance the immunity of the patients.