Improvement in lupus nephritis following treatment with a Chinese herbal preparation

Objective: To study the effect of a Chinese herbal decoction (CM), which co ntained 21 different herbs, on clinical remission in a patient with lupus n ephritis and chronic nephrotic syndrome. Design: Case report describing the clinical and laboratory markers of lupus activity in the patient before and after treatment with CM. We also studie d the in vitro effect of CM and its hydrophobic extract on spontaneous IgG production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 12 patients w ith systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) compared with 9 healthy control subj ects. Results: Spontaneous PBMC IgG production was significantly higher in patien ts with SLE (mean +/- SD, 20.4 +/- 10.6 x 10(-5) g/L) compared with control s (4.7 +/-: 1.9 x 10(-5) g/L) (P < .001). Addition of CM and its hydrophobi c extract. to PBMCs from patients with SLE resulted in significant suppress ion of spontaneous IgG production. Conclusions: The CM may contain some active pharmacological compound with i mmunosuppressive properties useful in the treatment of SLE. Further control led studies are important to evaluate the efficacy of this medicine, potent ial toxic effects, and the possible immunosuppressive mechanisms of the act ive component(s).