This study was aimed to compare the function of dendritic cells (DCs) in patients of Y in-Huang syn-drome and Y ang-Huang syndrome from the peripheral blood of HBV related hepatic failure. Jaundice patients of HBV related hepatic failure were divided into two groups, which were the Y ang-Huang syndrome group and Y in-Huang syndrome group. And a healthy control group was also established. The DCs were separated and cultured in vitro from PBMCs in the peripheral blood. Surface molecules such as HLA-DR, CD80, CD86, CD83 and CD1αwere detected by the flow cytometry. And the level of IFN- α and IL-4 in the supernatant of DCs were also de-tected. The expression difference of inflammatory cytokines and immune cells between Y in-Huang and Y ang-Huang syndrome in patients of HBV related hepatic failure were compared. The results showed that compared with healthy people, the expression rate of DCs phenotype such as HLA-DR, CD1α, CD83, CD80, CD86 in patients of HBV related hepatic failure was significantly decreased (P < 0.01); the excreted factor IFN-α had a significant rising (P < 0.01). Compared to Y ang-Huang syndrome group, the expression rate of CD83 and CD86 in the Y in-Huang syndrome group of HBV related hepatic failure patients was significantly reduced (P < 0.01). And the ex-creted factor of IL-4 had a significant rising in Y in-Huang syndrome group (P < 0.01). Compared to the Y in-Huang syndrome group, the excreted factor IFN-α in the Yang-Huang syndrome group had a significant rising (P< 0.01). It was concluded that DCs function of patients with HBV related hepatic failure in both Y in-Huang syn-drome and Y ang-Huang syndrome group showed low immune function. And the immune function of the Y in-Huang syndrome group was lower. There was excessive releasing of inflammatory factors in the Y ang-Huang syn-drome group. And there was enhanced anti-inflammatory cytokine expression in the Y in-Huang group.