Effect of a combination of Xuebijing and thymosin α1 on patients with severe pneumonia complicated with sepsis, and its influence on serum inflammatory factors

Purpose: To investigate the influence of a combination of Xuebijing and thymosin α1 on acute and septic bronchopneumonia (ASB) patients, and the effect of the treatment on inflammation. Methods: Eighty-one (81) ASB patients admitted to Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin China from January 2015 to July 2019 were enrolled in the study. The patients were assigned to control group (n = 41) and a study group (n = 40). The control patients were treated with Xuebijing injection, i.v., while the study group received a combination of Xuebijing injection and thymosin α1 via the subcutaneous route. Patients’ body temperature, heartbeat, white blood cell count, as well as other parameters, including blood gas indices, serum concentrations of IL-6, TNF-α and C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as well as blood gas indices were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Bacterial clearance and therapeutic effectiveness were evaluated pre- and post-treatment. Results: Post-therapy basal temperature, breathing, heartbeat, number of white blood cells and other indices decreased in study patients, relative to control (p < 0.05). Moreover, the levels of hydrogen ion concentration (pH) and arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure (PaCO2) were significantly lower in study group than in control group (p < 0.05). Patients in the study group had lower serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α and CRP, when compared to control group, while bacterial load was significantly reduced in study subjects, relative to controls (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Combined use of thymosin α1 and Xuebijing is significantly effective in the management of patients suffering from ASB. The combination therapy also improves the hemorheological status of patients. Thus, it is a potential therapeutic strategy for ASB. Keywords: Acute bronchopneumonia; Xuebijing; Thymosin α1; Septicemia; Inflammation