Clinical study on long-term therapeutic effect of com bined anti-fibrosis drugs on silicosis

Abstract

Objective To investigate long-term therape utic effect of combined anti-fibrosis drugs on silicosis. Methods 100 cases of silicosis,who were treated with the combined anti-fibrosis drugs:tetrandrine(TD)+quinolyl-piperazine hydroxyl phosphate(QO HP),TD+poly-2-vinyl pyridine-nitrogen oxide(PVNO),QOHP+aluminium citrate(ALC) and stopped the treatment for two years,were divided into three groups:re-treat ed group with the same dosage of drugs as before,maintained group with a lower d osage and observed(not treated)group.The control consisted of 50 silicosis patie nts in previous study. Results In all treated groups,cough and expectoration were getting better t han that in control group.Chest pain and dyspnea also showed improvement in TD+P VNO re-treated group.The evaluation by summing up all clinical symptoms indicat ed that the condition of patients in most of the treated and observed groups were stable and no case was getting w orse.Concerning the changes of chest X-ray films,over the two years after the p revious treatment,the images of fibrosis in X-ray films in all cases were aggra vated,the improving rate was 0.With the two years treatment again,the results of X-ray films were as follows:by using TD+QOHP,the improving rate was 23.8% and the aggravating rate went down from 71.4% to 42.9% in re-treated group,4.8% and from 14.3% to 9.5% respectively in maintained group,the improvin g rate was not changed(4.6%) in observed group;by using TD+PVNO,the improvin g rate reached 33.3% and the aggravating rate decreased from 66.7% to 33.3% in r e-treated group,the stability rate went down from 83.3% to 50.0% and the aggrav ating rate went up from 16.7% to 50.0%in maintained group,71.4% of cases sho wed no change in observed group;by using ALC+QOHP,the improving rate was 5.9% a nd aggravating rate went down from 11.8% to 0. Conclusion The treatment of silicosis with combined anti-fibrosis drugs showed a certain l ong-term therapeutic effect.Repeated treatment and maintained treatment with a lower dosage were suggested for most patients according to their condition.