The Expression Of Tim-3 In Ankylosing Spondylitis And The Observation On The Clinical Effect Of ShenBi Decoction

Objective: To study the expression of Tim-3 and Gal-9 on the cell subsets of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in AS patients as to further spelled out the mechanism of AS.Methods: 55 AS patients from Qilu Hospital and Shandong Hospital of TCM were enrolled in this researeh. The relative expression of TNF-αand Gal-9 on PBMC were measured by PCR while Tim-3 by flow cytometry.Result: More large proportion of Tim-3+ cells was detected on CD4+T cells (2.32±2.25%vs1.44±1.40%,p<0.05) CD8 + Tcells (16.92±8.36%vs12.03±5.71%,P﹤0.05 ) in patients with AS than that of healthy controls. The expression levels of Gal-9 on PBMC of AS patients after treatment positively correlates with that of TNF-α(r=0.47,p<0.05). Tim-3 on the subsets of T cells and Gal-9 on PBMC have no obvious correlation with BASDAI. Conclution: Tim-3 is first confirmed as over-expressed compared to the normal control,furthermore,gal-9 induced after treatment,that indicated that Tim-3/gal-9 might be a new target for diagnosising and treating .Part two Clinical researchObjective: Research the prescription of ShenBi Decoction combined with western medicine on the clinical effectiveness in patients with AS in acute stage.Methods: 20 patients with AS from Shandong Hospital of TCM were sorted to experimental group while another 20 ones from Qilu Hosipital were sorted to control group.Control group is given NSAIDs,Sulfasalazine and Thalidomide;experiment group is given above-mentioned western medicine except Thalidomide combined with prescription of ShenBi Decoction.The clinical effectiveness is observed after 3 months.Results: After treatment,the BASDAI,PGA and ESR were improved significantly both in the two groups.The comparison results of the difference before and after treatment about the observed group and the controlled group were BASDAI:2.34±1.77vs3.24±2.12,P>0.05;PGA:2.50±1.67vs3.00±2.85,P>0.05;ESR:39.40±29.85vs48.15±27.71,P>0.05.Conclution: The therapeutic efficacy of conventional therapy of western medicine cooperated with traditional Chinese medicine of ShenBi Decoction in treating active AS is not superior to conventional therapy of western medicine,but the former has fewer side effects than the latter obviously.