Chinese herbal medicine for patients living with HIV in Guangxi province, China: an analysis of two registries

Sci Rep. 2019 Nov 25;9(1):17444. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-53725-x.

Abstract

Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) is the recommended first line therapy for patients with HIV. Since 2004, Chinese government has provided free Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for Chinese HIV/AIDS patients. Data of living patients with HIV from the NFTCMP database and Center for Disease Control (CDC) database during 2003-2016 in Guangxi province was obtained and compared. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to their recorded treatment regimens. A total of 2954 patients with their treatment recorded in the two databases were included for analysis, their median age was 46 years (IQR = 36-59), and 64.63% were male. CHM regimens users had baseline CD4 cell counts (380.11 ± 240.59 cell/μL), approximately 100 cell/μL significantly higher than patients receiving CHM combined with ART regimens or only ART regimens. There was no significant difference in mortality among groups. All three regimens improved patients' CD4 cell counts. Compared to the sharp improvement in ART group during the first 6 months, CD4 cell counts of patients in CHM group and CHM combined with ART group showed a smooth and steady rise. CD4 cell counts of the combined group remained much lower than ART group in the first 3 years, but overtook ART group in the fourth year.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Anti-HIV Agents / adverse effects
  • Anti-HIV Agents / therapeutic use
  • CD4 Lymphocyte Count
  • Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / blood
  • Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / etiology
  • Child
  • China / epidemiology
  • Databases, Factual
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal / adverse effects
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal / therapeutic use*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • HIV Infections / drug therapy*
  • HIV Infections / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Kidney Diseases / blood
  • Kidney Diseases / chemically induced
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Phytotherapy*
  • Registries / statistics & numerical data
  • Survival Rate
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Anti-HIV Agents
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal