Objective:

2

To explore the change of intestinal microecology in patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) and correlation with disease activity

and also discuss the therapy effect of Yangyin Yiqi Huoxue Recipe (养阴益气活血方

YYHD).

Methods:

2

Sixteen pSS patients were enrolled in the present study

who received 3-month treatment of YYHR

200 mL orally twice daily. Their pre-and post-test ESSDAI scores

erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels were measured respectively. The 16SrDNA metagenomic sequencing was used to detect and analyze the abundance and diversity of intestinal bacteria flora and the proportion of bacteria at the levels of phylum

family

and genus

in comparision with those of 6 healthy subjects in the control group.

Results:

2

The abundance and diversity of intestinal bacteria flora in pSS patients were lower than those of healthy subjects (

P

<

0.05). After the treatment with YYHD

patients' ESSDAI score and levels of IgG and ESR have decreased significantly (

P

<

0.05). At the phylum level

the proportions of

Actinobacteria

Firmicutes

Fusobacteria

and

Proteobacteria

have reduced sharply

while the proportions of

Bacteroidetes

Teneriquetes

and

Candidate-division

-TM7 have increased significantly by treatment (all

P

<

0.05). At the classification level

such treatment has caused a significant decrease in the proportions of

Bacteroidaceae

Ruminococcaceae

Veillonellaceae

and

Enterobacteriacea

(all

P

<

0.05)

but a significant increase in the proportion of

Lachnospiraceae

(

P

<

0.05). At the genus level

the treatment has significantly decreased the proportions of

Bifidobacterium

Bacteroides

Escherichia-Shigella

Faecalibacterium

and

Prevotella

(all

P

<

0.05)

but significantly increased the proportion of

Clostridia

(

P

<

0.05)

close to the levels of healthy subjects (

P

>

0.05).

Conclusions:

2

There exists an imbalance of intestinal microecology in pSS patients

which can be improved through the treatment with YYHD. Besides

such treatment can also improve the disease activity and adjust the diversity of intestinal bacteria flora

the composition and the abundance of intestinal flora.