Effect of Astragalus Injection on levels of blood selenium and immunity function in children with viral myocarditis

Objective: To observe the effect of Astragalus Injection (Al) on levels of blood selenium (Se) and cytokines, and T cellular immune function with viral myocarditis (VM) in children.Methods: Eighty children with VM were randomly divided into 2 groups. The control group consisted of 38 patients, to whom conventional therapy, including energy mixture, vitamin C and coenzyme Q10, etc. were given. The treated group (n = 42), to whom combination therapy of conventional therapy and Al were given. The levels of blood Se and cytokine, including interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and also evaluation of T lymphocyte subsets and cardiac function were observed.Results: The results showed that after treatment, the levels of blood Se were significantly higher (P<0. 01), while IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly lower (P<0.01) than those before treatment in the control group. The left ventricular end diameter (LVED) were significantly decreased (P<0.01), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS) were significantly increased than those before treatment in the treated group(P<0.01, P<0.05). T lymphocyte subsets got normalized (P<0.01), and compared with the control group, the difference was significant (P<0.01).Conclusion: Astragalus membranaceus possesses anti-viral effect, adjusts the balance of cytokine and T cellular immunity, and improves the clinical manifestation and cardiac function. It is an effective approach in treating viral myocarditis.