Abstract: Objective：To determine the effect of oxymatrine injection combined with acitretin on the Th17 cell and related cytokines in patients with psoriasis. Methods：One hundred patients with psoriasis were divided into the treatment group (50 patients) and control group (50 patients). The patients in the treatment group were treated with oxymatrine injection combined with acitretin capsules and those in the control group were treated with acitretin capsules only. Acitretin capsules were given 20mg, twice a day for 8 weeks and oxymatrine injection was 0.6g, once a day for 4 weeks. The efficacy was assessed and the level of Th17 cell and related cytokines expression were detected by ELISA method. Results：The Th17 cell percentage of the patients in the treatment group and control group was (1.0±0.4)% and (2.4±0.8)% respectively, with a significant difference (P＜0.05). The level of IL-6, IL-17, IL-23 and TGF-β1 in the treatment group was (5.5±0.6) ng/L, (23.7±4.5) ng/L, (69.2±8.5) ng/L and (643.1±68.7) ng/L, and was (7.4±1.0) ng/L, (40.6±9.2) ng/L, (104.8±11.9) ng/L and (871.4±94.3) ng/L in the control group. The differences were significant between the two groups (P＜0.05). Conclusion: Oxymatrine injection can improve the efficacy of acitretin in the treatment of psoriasis. The mechanism may be through regulating the level of Th17 cells.

Key words: oxymatrine injection, psoriasis, Th17