Effect of Feitai capsule combined with mycobacterium vaccae on immune function in elderly patients with pulmonary tuberculosis

Abstract

Objective To explore the effect of Feitai capsule combined with mycobacterium vaccae on immune function in elderly patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods A total of 100 hospitalized patients from 2012 January to 2013 October in Hebei Provincial Chest Hospital were randomly divided into 2 groups, 50 patients in each group. The control group was treated with conventional anti tuberculosis scheme (2HRZE/4HR); the treatment group was additionally treated with Feitai capsule and intramuscular injection of mycobacterium vaccae on the basis of the control group. Both groups were treated for 6 month after the smear detection, peripheral blood CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ T cell level and CD4+/CD8+ ratio were detected and clinical efficacy were evaluated. Results In the treatment group, CD3+（65.4% ± 6.6% vs. 58.1% ± 6.2%; t=5.803, P=0.000）, CD4+(38.6% ± 5.7% vs. 26.6% ± 4.6%; t=11.836, P=0.000) T cell levels and CD4+/CD8+ ratio (1.6 ± 0.3 vs.0.9 ± 0.2，t=14.329，P=0.000) were elevated and CD8+ T cell level was lower after the treatment compared with before the treatment (25.6% ± 4.2% vs. 32.5% ± 4.2%; t＝8.355, P=0.000); in the control group, CD3+(60.7% ± 5.4% vs. 58.3% ± 6.2%; t=2.072, P=0.041), CD8+(30.2% ± 4.2% vs. 32.3% ± 4.9%; t=2.331, P=0.022) T cell levels and CD4+/CD8+ ratio (1.1 ± 0.2 vs. 0.9 ± 0.2; t=4.488, P<0.001) showed significant difference between post-treatment and pretreatment. CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ T cell levels and CD4+/CD8+ ratio after treatment showed significant different between the two groups (t values were 3.920, 11.966, 5.573, 10.700, P<0.01). After the treatment, the cure rate in treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group (80% vs. 56%; χ2=5.561, P=0.018). The rates of sputum conversion from positive to negative (72.0% vs. 50.0%; χ2=5.086, P=0.024)and cavity closure (36.0% vs. 16.0%; χ2=5.198, P=0.023) 6 months after treatment in the treatment group were higher than those in the control group. Conclusion Feitai capsule combined with mycobacterium vaccae can significantly improve the immune function in elderly patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. Key words: Tuberculosis, pulmonary; Antitubercular agents; Mycobacterium; Tuberculosis vaccines; Feitai capsule