OBJECTIVETo explore the relation between the effect of Huashi Decoction (HD) and levels of activated and functional T lymphocyte subsets in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients of dampness syndrome (DS).

METHODSSeventy CHB patients were nonrandomly assigned to two groups, the treated group (n = 45) treated by HD and the control group (n = 30) by nucleotide analogies. The clinical efficay was observed and levels of activated and functional T lymphocyte subsets were detected before and after treatment.

RESULTSThe peripheral blood levels of CD8+ CD28+ and CD4+ CD28+ T cells were significantly lower in CHB patients than those in the healthy subjects (P < 0.01), which were higher in the treated group after treatment compared with those before treatment (P < 0.05), while the CD8+ CD38+ T cell level was significantly higher in CHB patients than in the healthy subjects (P < 0.05), which was lower in the treated and the control groups after treatment than those before treatment respectively (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found in the markedly effective rate and total effective rate between the two groups (P > 0.05). The levels of CD8+ CD28+ and CD4+ CD28+ T cells increased and the CD8+ CD3+ and CD4+ CD25+ T cell level decreased obviously after treatment in those who acquired marked effectiveness (P < 0.05), while they changed insignificantly in those who did not acquire marked effectiveness (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONHD is effective in regulating activated and functional T lymphocyte subsets in CHB patients with DS, which might be its mechanism of inhibiting virus replication and eliminating virus.