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To explore the effects of three Chinese herbal antidotes, i.e. Herba Artemisiae annuae (A), Herba Hedyotis diffusae (H) and Rhizoma Cimicifugae (C), all were ingredients of Jiedu Quyu Ziyin Recipe, for adjusting the regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreated (RANTES), gene expression in serum and renal tissue of MRL/lpr mice.Fifty-four MRL/lpr mice were randomized into 9 groups, with 6 in each, and intragastrically infused with A, H, C, A+H, H+C, A+C, A+H+C (all in dosage-form of decoction), prednisone suspension and physiological saline, respectively for 12 weeks. RANTES expression in serum and renal tissue of animals were detected with ELISA and RT-PCR at the end of the study.Levels of RANTES expression was significantly reduced in the prednisone treated group after treatment. Excepting no significant change being observed in the groups treated with A and C, the changes in the other groups were all milder than those in the group treated with A+H+C.Chinese herbal antidotes A, H and C in combination can significantly inhibit the RANTES expression in serum and renal tissue of MRL/lpr mice.

To explore the expression of human leucocyte antigen DR (HLA-DR) gene in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients of various TCM syndrome types in order to seek an objective index for syndrome differentiation of SLE.SLE patients were sorted into various syndrome types by TCM syndrome differentiation, i. e. Pi-Shen yang-deficiency type (A), yin-deficiency with internal heat type (B), qi-yin deficiency type (C) and Gan-Shen yin-deficiency type (D). Their peripheral blood sample was collected for detecting HLA-DR positive lymphocytes and monocytes in PBMC using flow cytometry.Comparisons among patients of various syndrome type showed that the proportion of HLA-DR positive monocytes and lymphocytes in PBMC in patients of type A was the lowest (P0.01); proportion of HLA-DR positive lymphocytes in patients of type B was significantly higher than in those of type C and D (P0.01), and that in type D was higher than in type C (P0.05); total proportion of HLA-DR positive cells in patients of type A was the lowest, that in type B was higher than that in type C and D (P0.01, P0.05), while no significant difference was found between the latter two types (P0.05).HLA-DR could be taken as an objective index for reference in syndrome differentiation of SLE.