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Xuebijing injection in the treatment of COVID-19: a retrospective case-control study
Hu Guo1, Jiangyuan Zheng2, Gu Huang1
1Pharmaceutical Department of Chongqing Three Gorges Central Hospital, Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital, Chongqing, China.
Insights
Xuebijing injection (XBJ) combined with routine treatment improved clinical outcomes for COVID-19 patients by reducing interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels and body temperature. This traditional Chinese medicine shows promise in managing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Area of Science:
- Integrative Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Pharmacology
Background:
- No specific vaccines or therapeutics exist for COVID-19.
- Xuebijing injection (XBJ) may reduce inflammation by inhibiting IL-6 and TNF-α.
- Investigating XBJ's efficacy in COVID-19 treatment is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the clinical effect of XBJ combined with routine treatment in COVID-19 patients.
- To assess XBJ's impact on key inflammatory markers like IL-6 and TNF-α.
- To compare treatment outcomes between XBJ combined with routine care and routine care alone.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 42 COVID-19 patients receiving XBJ plus routine treatment (observation group) was compared to 16 patients on routine treatment alone (control group).
- Patients were matched 1:1 based on age, comorbidities, and disease severity.
- Clinical symptoms, laboratory markers (IL-6, TNF-α), CT scans, and viral clearance time were monitored.
Main Results:
- The XBJ group showed significant improvements in IL-6 levels and body temperature compared to the control group.
- Severe COVID-19 cases in the XBJ group experienced a greater reduction in body temperature.
- Improved CT imaging and faster viral RNA negativity were observed in the XBJ group, though not statistically significant.
Conclusions:
- Routine treatment combined with Xuebijing injection demonstrates potential for better clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients.
- XBJ may be a valuable adjunctive therapy for managing COVID-19 symptoms and inflammatory responses.
- Further research is warranted to confirm XBJ's efficacy and optimal use in COVID-19 treatment.
Background:
Neither a vaccine nor specific therapeutic drugs against 2019 novel coronavirus have been developed. Some studies have shown that Xuebijing injection (XBJ) can exert an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and other cytokines. This study aimed to investigate the effect of XBJ on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its effects on IL-6 and tumor necrosis alpha TNF-α.
Methods:
A total of 42 patients, who were diagnosed with COVID-19 and treated with XBJ combined with routine treatment at Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital between January 20, 2020, and March 11, 2020, were selected as the observation group. A control group comprising 16 patients who received routine treatment was also established, and cases were matched from the observation group on a 1:1 basis according to age, comorbidities, and mild and severe disease. The clinical symptoms, laboratory test indexes, and changes in computed tomography (CT) scans of patients in the two groups were observed at the time of admission and 7 days after treatment, and the time taken for the patients to produce a negative nucleic acid test was also recorded.
Results:
There were no significant differences in baseline data between the two groups. After treatment, there were significant improvements in IL-6 levels and body temperature in the observation group as compared with the control group. Particularly in severe patients, the reduction in body temperature in the observation group was greater than that in the control group (P<0.05). A higher number of patients in the observation group showed improved CT imaging results compared with the control group, and the time taken to produce a negative nucleic acid test was shorter in the observation group than in the control group; however, the differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Furthermore, there were no significant differences in TNF-α and IL-10 between the two groups.
Conclusions:
The results of this study suggest that routine treatment combined with XBJ can better improve the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients.
