Xinjiang is the area with a high incidence of AIDS, and a high incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis. Cases of AIDS combined with pulmonary tuberculosis have continued to increase in recent years. According to the characteristics of AIDS, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) reveals that AIDS belongs to epidemic febrile disease, and in accordance with the category of warm disease caused by incubating pathogens.

This study was aimed to observe the clinical effect of Pingai Mixture intervention on HIV/AIDS patients in order to clarify the characteristics of Pingai Mixture for AIDS treatment. A total of 41 HIV/AIDS patients who met the inclusion criteria were selected. Pingai Mixture was applied in the treatment. Three months was one treatment course. The treatment was given for two courses. Clinical symptoms, physical signs and changes in CD4+ lymphocytes of HIV/AIDS patients before and after treatment were observed. The SPSS software was used for statistical analysis. The results showed that the posttreatment total score (primary, secondary symptoms and the main physical sign cred-its) was significantly reduced compared with pretreatment (P < 0.01). The posttreatment spontaneous perspiration, night sweats, hair loss and other symptoms of a separate score was significantly reduced compared with pretreatment (P< 0.05). There were no significant changes on other symptoms or physical sign indicators. There was no significant difference in the Karnovsky score after 6-month treatment compared with pretreatment. It was concluded that Pingai Mixture is effective in AIDS treatment. It can improve the clinical symptoms and the administration is safe.

The changes in erythrocyte deformability and os moti c fragility were studied with an animal model of mild burn injury. The results s howed that after the burn injury there was a gradual decrease with time at first and then a recovery in erythrocyte deformability. Maximum deformation index ［(DI)max］, integra tion deformation index (IDI) and osmotic fragility of RBCs drawn just after burn were almost identical to those before burn injury. (DI)max and IDI signifi cantly decreased at 1, 2 h but not at 4, 7 h when compared with those before burn injury, however, the RBCs were less deformable at 4, 7 h. Erythrocyte osmotic fragility significantly increased only at 4 h after burn injury when compared at the time points of 0, 1, 2, 4 , 7 h after burn with that before burn injury. The results indicated that the lesion in (DI)max and IDI, and the increase in osmotic fragility might be only related to the body fluid fa ctors in this animal model. The decrease in erythrocyte deformability and the in crease in erythrocyte osmotic fragility did not synchronize, suggesting that the changes might come about not by the same mechanism.