OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic effect of TCM syndrome-typing based therapy (TCM-STBT) combined with cyclosporin on myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and investigate the correlation of efficacy with TCM syndrome type and MDS type.

METHODSFifty-eight MDS patients were classified into refractory anemia (RA) and RA with excess blast (RAEB) by FAB standard and randomly divided into the cyclosporin group (the treated group) and the alltransretinoic acid group (the control group), and both were subjected to STBT additionally. The therapeutic effect and changes of peripheral hemogram were observed and compared.

RESULTSThe total effective rate and the total remission rate was 73% and 33% in the treated group, higher than that in the control group (39% and 0) respectively. Hemoglobin level, white blood cell and blood platelet count increased significantly in the treated group after treatment (P < 0.05), while only hemoglobin level rose obviously in the control group (P < 0.05). The total effective rate and markedly effective rate in patients with qi-blood deficiency syndrome type were higher than those with other syndrome types.

CONCLUSIONTCM-STBT combined with cyclosporin has good efficacy in treating MDS and there is well correlation between the therapeutic efficacy and type of TCM syndrome or of MDS, indicating the STBT is necessory for TCM therapy.