OBJECTIVETo evaluate the therapeutic effect of integrative Chinese and Western medicine in treating mid-advanced crescentic nephritis (MACN).

METHODSThirty-two patients, their diagnosis was confirmed as MACN by renal biopsy, were divided, adopting randomized, controlled method, into two groups, the treated group and the control group, they were all, excepting one, treated with impact therapy of methyl-prednisolone followed with oral intake of prednisone, to part of them cyclophosphamide or mycophenolate mofetil was given in addition, to those with hypo-hemoglobin (< 90 g/L), subcutaneous injection of erythropoietin was administered. Decoction of Qingre Huoxue recipe (QHR), consisted of oldenlandia herb 30 g, honey-suckle stem 30 g, violet herb 30 g, red peony root 15 g, rehmannia root 15 g, solomonseal rhizome 15 g, asiabell root 30 g, red sage root 30 g, prepared rhubarb 12 g and giant-hyssop herb 12 g, were additionally given one dose per day to patients in the treated group. The renal function, improvement of anemia and immunosuppressive agents needed in patients were observed after 3 months treatment.

RESULTSAfter treatment, renal function was improved in both groups, but the effect in the treated group was better than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Anemia was partially alleviated in the two groups with no significant difference. The dosage of glucocorticoids used in the treated group was obviously lesser than that used in the control group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONIntegrative Chinese and western medicine could treat crescentic nephritis to obtain good effect, and reduce the quantity of glucocorticoid necessity for treatment.

Adult ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Glomerulonephritis ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; therapeutic use ; Kidney Function Tests ; Kidney Glomerulus ; physiopathology ; Kidney Tubules ; physiopathology ; Male ; Methylprednisolone ; therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy