The Chinese medicine Kuan-Sin-Yin improves liver function in patients with chronic hepatitis C: A randomised and placebo-controlled trial

Background & aims This study examined the effects of a traditional Chinese medicine decoction, Kuan-Sin-Yin (KSY), on patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in a randomised and placebo-controlled clinical trial. Methods This trial enrolled 70 subjects with CHC who were randomised into 2 groups each with 35 participants. In total, 29 participants in the therapeutic group took 100 mL of the herbal decoction daily, whereas 28 in the control group took an herbal placebo with the same dose and frequency for the 6-week study. The primary outcomes were liver function and viral load. Secondary measurements included haematopoietic and biochemical profiles, safety parameters, and a quality of life survey. All measurements were collected at the beginning of the study and after 6 weeks. Results In within-group analysis, significant decreases of glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) 31.7 ± 75.2 IU/L and glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) 20.3 ± 45.7 IU/L were found in the KSY group (p = 0.031 and 0.024, respectively). In the between-group analysis, KSY reduced serum GOT and GPT levels by more than 20 IU/L (p = 0.027 and 0.047, respectively). KSY also significantly decreased viral load by 0.3 log units (p = 0.047). In addition, KSY significantly decreased serum triglyceride 16.9 ± 27.5 mg/dL (p = 0.024). Conclusions This study demonstrates that taking the KSY herbal decoction for 6 weeks improves liver function and serum triglyceride levels and is safe for patients with CHC. The potential long-term effects of KSY on lipid metabolism related hepatoprotection and viral clearance warrant further investigation.