Effect of Xuebijing injection on inflammatory markers and disease outcome of coronavirus disease 2019

Abstract

To observe the influence of Xuebijing injection on the inflammatory markers and prognosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Sixty severe COVID-19 patients admitted to Changsha Public Health Treatment Center (North Hospital of the First Hospital of Changsha City) from January to March in 2020 were randomly divided into routine treatment group, Xuebijing 50 mL group and Xuebijing 100 mL group, with 20 cases in each group. The routine treatment group was treated according to the National Health Commission's guide for COVID-19. On the basis of conventional treatment, Xuebijing injection was injected by 50 mL twice a day for 7 days in Xuebijing 50 mL group, while by 100 mL twice a day for 7 days in Xuebijing 100 mL group. The blood routine test, C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score, 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) nucleic acid test and disease classification of three groups before and 8 days after treatment were observed. (1) After treatment, the white blood cell count (WBC) and lymphocyte count (LYM) of three groups increased, meanwhile CRP and ESR decreased. Compared with routine treatment group, the WBC count of Xuebijing 100 mL group after treatment significantly increased (×109/L: 7.12±0.55 vs. 5.67±0.51, P < 0.05), and the levels of CRP and ESR in Xuebijing 50 mL and 100 mL groups significantly decreased [CRP (mg/L): 32.3±4.6, 28.0±6.2 vs. 37.3±5.9; ESR (mm/1 h): 45.9±5.7, 40.5±7.4 vs. 55.3±6.6, all P < 0.05]. Compared with Xuebijing 50 mL group, the increase of WBC, and the decrease of CRP and ESR were more significant in Xuebijing 100 mL group [WBC (×109/L): 7.12±0.55 vs. 5.82±0.49, CRP (mg/L): 28.0±6.2 vs. 32.3±4.6, ESR (mm/1 h): 40.5±7.4 vs. 45.9±5.7, all P < 0.05]. (2) After treatment, the APACHE II score of three groups decreased. In Xuebijing 100 mL group, the APACHE II score after treatment was significantly lower than those in routine treatment and Xuebijing 50 mL groups (12.3±1.5 vs. 16.5±1.6, 15.9±1.4, both P < 0.05). After treatment, the 2019-nCoV nucleic acid test in three groups partly turned negative, with 9 cases in routine treatment group, 8 cases in Xuebijing 50 mL group and 9 cases in Xuebijing 100 mL group, without significant difference (P > 0.05). The conditions of patients in the three groups were improved after treatment, among them, 8 cases in the routine treatment group were transformed into common type, 1 case into critical type; 9 cases and 12 cases of Xuebijing 50 mL group and 100 mL group were transformed into common type respectively. Xuebijing 100 mL group was improved more obviously than Xuebijing 50 mL group and routine treatment group (both P < 0.05). The Xuebijing injection can effectively improve the inflammatory markers and prognosis of severe COVID-19 patients.