Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Liangxue Zishen Yiqi method on the level of hepatitis B virus-DNA(HBV-DNA)in dendritic cells (DCs)

and on the peripheral lymphoid T cell in patients with chronic hepatitis B

in order to study the role of Chinese medicine method in the immune function

inhibition and removal of the virus in patients

and provide the new ideas for prevention and treatment of hepatitis. Method: In this study

one hundred and fifty-eight cases of HBV patients were randomly divided into treatment group and control group. The conventional treatment was applied in the two groups

Liangxue Zishen Yiqi medicine was given in treatment group while Liangxue Zishen Yiqi placebo prescription was given in control group. All the traditional Chinese medicine were granular formulation. Result: After the treatment for 24 weeks

the liver function

HBV-DNA

dendritic cells and proliferation of peripheral lymphoid T cell subsets were obviously improved

with no significant difference in the improvement of liver function between two groups. The reduction of HBV-DNA after treatment in control group was significantly different with control group (P<0.05)

but with no significant difference in negative conversion ratio. The ratio of HBeAg negative conversion in treatment group was superior to the control group

however

the HBeAg sero conversion ratio was not. The levels of DCs molecules

and the secretion of DCs IL-12 levels were both superior to the control group (P<0.01

P<0.05);as to the proliferation of T lymphocyte subsets

it mainly improved the level of CD4+

and reduced the level of CD8+

with significant difference compared with control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Liangxue Zishen Yiqi has positive effect on DC

lymphocyte subsets in patients with chronic hepatitis B. It can significantly restrain HBV-DNA

which may play a role in improving the immune function and arousing the T lymphocyte immune status of patients.