OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical efficacy of comprehensive treatment of Chinese medicine in treating ulcerative colitis (UC) according to syndrome differentiation therapy and the stage of disease.

METHODSFifty-three patients with mild or moderate, initial onset or relapsed active UC of large intestinal dampness-heat syndrome were randomly assigned to two groups, the treatment group (27 cases) and the control group (26 cases). The treatment group was treated with oral Qingchang Huashi Recipe (QHR) and external application of Guanchang Recipe (GR) in the active stage, oral administration of Fuzheng Qingchang Recipe in the remission stage. Symptomatic modification was performed according to the features of the symptoms. Patients in the control group were treated with oral Mesalazine enteric coated tablet (MSRT, 1.0 g, 4 times daily) in the active stage, oral administration of MSRT (0.5 g, three times daily) in the remission stage. The main clinical symptoms, Chinese medicine syndrome, induced remission rate, and changes of quality of life were observed on the 28th, 56th, and 84th day after treatment.

RESULTSAfter 84 days of treatment, the scores of the symptoms such as diarrhea, passing stool with pus and blood, and the abdominal pain in the treatment group were obviously improved when compared with before treatment (P < 0.05). The scores of the symptoms such as diarrhea, and passing stool with pus and blood in the treatment group were better than those in the control group (P < 0.05). After 28, 56, and 84 days of treatment, the clinical efficacy of Chinese syndromes were 77.78%, 77.78%, and 88. 89%, respectively, and the induced remission rates were 63.0%, 77.8%, and 88.9%, respectively in the treatment group, better than those in the control group of the same phase (P < 0.05). After 84 days of treatment, the scores of the quality of life, the general symptoms, the emotional capacity, and the social capacity, tc. in the treatment group and the control group were improved than before treatment (P < 0.05). Besides, the scores of the quality of life in the treatment group were superior to that in the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSComprehensive treatment of Chinese medicine in treating ulcerative colitis based on two steps according to the stage of disease can effectively improve the main symptoms of UC patients, improve the Chinese syndromes, elevate the clinical remission rate and patients' quality of life. It showed favorable clinical efficacy.