Peripheral blood cell factors of Graves ophthalmopathy and effect of intervention with tripterygium glycosides

Abstract

To explore the effect of tripterygium glycosides on the level of peripheral blood cell factors of Graves ophthalmopathy (GO). In the study, 64 patients of GO in moderate-severe acute stage were selected, and randomly divided into the treatment group (32 cases) and the control group (32 cases). Both of the two groups were provided with basic treatment. The control group was added with prednisone(0. 75 mg kg-1 d-1 ), which gradually reduced (by 5-10 mg week-1 )to the minimum dose of 5 mg d-1. The treatment group was treated with 20 mg tripterygium glycosides, three times a day. One therapy course is three months. The levels of peripheral blood cells(TNF-alpha , IL-2, IL-10, IFN-gamma)of the two groups before and after the treatment and the clinical efficacy were observed. The study indicated that, before the treatment, TNF-alpha, IL-2, IFN-gamma in both groups were significantly higher than that in the health group, but with IL-10 notably lower than the healthy group. After the treatment, TNF-a, IL-2, IFN-gamma in the treatment group significantly decreased, but with IL-10 significantly increasing (P <0. 01). After the treatment, the two groups showed significant difference (P <0. 01). The total clinical efficacy in the treatment group was 88. 10% , and that in the control group was 57. 14% (P <0. 01). After the treatment, the two groups showed significant changes in the exophthalmos degree (P < 0. 01). The results showed that the level of peripheral blood cells (TNF-alpha,IL-2, IL-10, IFN-gamma)of GO patients was positively correlated with the severity of ocular disease. The combined therapy of tripterygium glycosides and methimazole show such advantages as low side effect and high clin-