1. Chronic Bronchitis

Immune responses are physiological reactions that typically serve three functions: physiological defense, self-stabilization, and immune surveillance, thereby maintaining the body’s normal disease resistance. Both excessive and insufficient immune responses are detrimental to immune efficacy and can lead to immune diseases. Excessive responses, i.e., hypersensitivity reactions, such as allergic diseases and autoimmune diseases; insufficient responses, i.e., weakened immune function or damage to immune mechanisms, such as immunodeficiency diseases and states of increased susceptibility to infection. For certain abnormal immune responses, although one of the two immune mechanisms—non-specific or specific—is usually more dominant, the other often participates synergistically, interacting with and either complementing or restraining each other. Therefore, when treating the aforementioned conditions with immunotherapy, it is essential to adopt a comprehensive approach that takes both specific and non-specific immunity into account. Traditional Chinese Medicine’s Fu Zheng Pei Ben therapy for such conditions often includes, in the same prescription, both qi-tonifying and defensive qi-supporting herbs like Codonopsis pilosula, Atractylodes macrocephala, and Astragalus membranaceus, as well as powerful kidney-tonifying and yin-yang-regulating formulas such as Liu Wei Di Huang Wan and Ba Wei Di Huang Wan. This traditional medication approach aligns with the aforementioned viewpoint.

1. Chronic Bronchitis

This disease is considered closely related to autoimmunity, with abnormal immune responses involving both specific and non-specific mechanisms in its pathogenesis. Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to this condition as “long-term cough” or “asthmatic cough,” categorizing it under internal injury coughs; improper external treatment can lead to the development of internal injury coughs. The disease is triggered by external factors, causing repeated exacerbations. Traditional Chinese Medicine has long recognized that “the manifestation lies in the lungs, while the root lies in the spleen and kidneys.” “Manifestation” refers to symptoms, while “root” refers to the underlying cause, indicating that treating the lungs addresses the symptoms, whereas treating the spleen and kidneys addresses the root cause. Treating the spleen means strengthening middle qi and bolstering defensive qi, which also enhances non-specific immunity; this approach is traditionally called “cultivating earth to generate metal” in treating chronic bronchitis, with formulas such as Liu Jun Zi Tang, Ping Wei San, Er Chen Tang, and Buzhong Yiqi Tang all suitable for use. Treating the kidneys means warming and tonifying kidney qi, regulating original yin and original yang, which also adjusts specific immunity. When using this approach to treat chronic bronchitis, Traditional Chinese Medicine traditionally calls it “warming the kidneys to gather qi,” with formulas such as Gui Fu Ba Wei Wan, Du Qi Wan, Ji Sheng Shen Qi Wan, and Mai Wei Di Huang Wan all suitable for use. Over the years, Traditional Chinese Medicine has diagnosed and treated based on the above principles, achieving good therapeutic effects in the prevention and treatment of chronic bronchitis. The Xiyuan Hospital of the Beijing Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine achieved a success rate of 95.5% in treating this disease with Gu Ben Wan, a formula combining Liu Jun Zi Tang, Yu Ping Feng San, Bu Gu Zhi, and Zi He Che, aimed at strengthening the spleen and benefiting qi while warming the kidneys. To observe the effect of this formula on the immune response in chronic bronchitis, sputum lysozyme levels were measured in some cases before and after a course of treatment, revealing that after treatment, patients’ sputum lysozyme levels increased (P<0.001), suggesting that Gu Ben Wan enhances the body’s non-specific humoral immunity. The Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine used cinnamon and processed aconite to tonify the kidneys, Atractylodes macrocephala to strengthen the spleen, and dried ginger to reduce qi and eliminate phlegm, composing Tan Yin Wan to treat chronic bronchitis, achieving good results. Animal experiments conducted by the provincial chronic bronchitis research collaboration group proved that rabbits given Tan Yin Wan produced significantly higher agglutination titers than the control group⑧, indicating that Tan Yin Wan can enhance the body’s specific humoral immunity. The First Medical College of Shanghai and other institutions formulated Wen Yang Pian using raw Rehmannia, cooked Rehmannia, Polygonatum, Rosa laevigata, Epimedium, Cornus officinalis, and other kidney-tonifying herbs combined with Atractylodes macrocephala, Chinese yam, and Citrus peel to strengthen the spleen, achieving a success rate of over 95%. Immunological experiments confirmed that patients treated with Wen Yang Pian showed significant increases in serum immunoglobulin IgG and IgA compared with before treatment, and some patients even experienced a shift from negative to positive skin sensitivity tests. This demonstrates that Wen Yang Pian, which strengthens the spleen and tonifies the kidneys, improves both specific and non-specific immunity⑩. 2. Chronic Nephritis

The onset of this disease is often associated with dysregulation of the body’s immune stability function. Due to this dysregulation, the body loses the ability to distinguish “self” from “non-self,” mistaking its own tissues as foreign substances and producing corresponding antibodies, leading to abnormal immune responses. Specifically, the body treats glomerular basement membrane tissue as an antigen, generating antibodies that bind to the basement membrane and form antigen-antibody complexes; under the promotion of complement activation, inflammatory responses occur, resulting in tissue damage in the renal parenchyma. This is an abnormal immune response primarily driven by specific immunity, but still involves non-specific immunity. Traditional Chinese Medicine does not have a specific term for nephritis, but based on syndrome analysis, it falls under the category of “edema.” Ming ·Zhang Jingyue said: “All edema-related syndromes are diseases related to the spleen, lungs, and kidneys. Water is the ultimate yin, so its root lies in the kidneys; water transforms into qi, so its manifestation lies in the lungs; water fears earth, so its control lies in the spleen. Now, if the lungs are weak, water fails to transform into essence and instead becomes water; if the spleen is weak, earth fails to control water and instead attacks it; if the kidneys are weak, water has no master and runs wild.” These four statements indicate that the manifestation of this disease lies in the lungs, the root lies in the kidneys, and the control lies in the spleen. Edema is further divided into yin water and yang water: the former is more common in people with spleen and kidney deficiencies, characterized by deficiency and cold; the latter is more common in people with lung issues, characterized by excess and heat. Clinically, the latter resembles acute nephritis, while the former resembles chronic nephritis.” Thus, the focus of treating chronic nephritis remains on the spleen and kidneys. Traditional Chinese Medicine treats this disease by strengthening the spleen with Buzhong Yiqi Tang plus modifications, and strengthening the kidneys with Jisheng Shen Qi Wan plus additions, which happens to be an effective measure for regulating both non-specific and specific immunity. In 1965, at the National Chronic Nephritis Symposium held by the Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, it was proposed to classify chronic nephritis based on kidney pathology, dividing it into kidney-yang deficiency type and kidney-yin deficiency type②. Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine followed this classification, treating 100 cases of chronic nephritis with dual spleen-and-kidney tonification, achieving complete remission in 33 cases, basic remission in 13 cases, partial remission in 39 cases, for a total effectiveness rate of 85%②. The 281st Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army reported on integrated Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment of 110 cases of chronic nephritis, with traditional Chinese medicine mainly focusing on tonifying the kidneys and strengthening the spleen; clinically, 67 cases were completely cured, accounting for 60.9%, 15 cases were basically cured, and 17 cases improved, for a total effectiveness rate of 90%2. The 51st Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army used Codonopsis pilosula, Atractylodes macrocephala, Astragalus membranaceus, Chinese yam, and Poria cocos to strengthen the spleen, and cinnamon and processed aconite to tonify the kidneys, combining with Western medicine to treat 14 cases of nephrotic syndrome, achieving complete remission in 9 cases, basic remission in 4 cases, and significant improvement in 1 case②. The above data demonstrate that treating chronic nephritis with spleen-and-kidney tonification can indeed achieve good therapeutic effects. Understanding this issue from the perspective of how this method regulates immunity seems even more accurate. 3. Tumors In recent years, research on malignant tumors has indicated that dysfunction of the body’s immune function is one of the major factors leading to the occurrence of this disease. The immune surveillance system, primarily dependent on T cells in the thymus, normally prevents cellular carcinogenic mutations and thus inhibits the occurrence and development of malignant tumors. Therefore, insufficient T cell function and weakened immune surveillance are major factors in tumor formation. Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that the key to the occurrence of this disease is “deficiency of righteous qi”; “Yizong Bidu” states: “What accumulates and forms is due to insufficient righteous qi, allowing evil qi to take hold.” During the Song and Yuan dynasties, Zhang Yuan, Li Dongyuan, Luo Tianyi, and others all made similar arguments about “nourishing righteousness to naturally dispel accumulation.” In recent years, the number of cases where Fu Zheng therapy has achieved remarkable therapeutic effects in treating tumors has been increasing. The Longhua Hospital affiliated with the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine mainly focused on strengthening the spleen and benefiting qi, supplemented by kidney-tonifying treatment, to treat a case of advanced liver cancer. After two months of ineffective Western chemotherapy, traditional Chinese medicine was administered, resulting in improved appetite, renewed spirits, and increased urine output. Three months later, the ascites subsided and the patient was discharged. Another case involved treating an advanced breast cancer patient with warming the kidneys and strengthening yang, supplemented by strengthening the spleen and benefiting qi. After several rounds of ineffective chemotherapy, traditional Chinese medicine was used to activate blood circulation, resolve stasis, reduce swelling, and disperse nodules; although there was some minor effect, six months later the condition worsened, and after diagnosis it was determined that the patient suffered from both spleen and kidney deficiency, so the treatment was changed to warming the kidneys and strengthening yang combined with benefiting qi and strengthening the spleen. Four months later, the tumor disappeared. The Oncology Department of the Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital used warming the kidneys and strengthening yang to treat a patient who had a recurrence after spinal cord tumor surgery. The patient had lower limb paralysis and bowel/bladder dysfunction. After taking 24 doses of Di Huang Yin Zi and Cang Rong Wan with added ingredients, the patient was able to get out of bed and walk along the wall. Subsequently, the original formula was supplemented with 1 liang of Nü Zhen Zi, combined with Huo Liu Wan, which has the effect of benefiting qi and expelling evil, and after one month the patient was able to walk 2 li with a cane, and even walk 50 meters without a cane. After continuing to take the original formula for another two months, the patient went to the outpatient clinic for a follow-up visit without a cane, with stable gait and controlled bowel/bladder functions. Subsequently, the original formula was supplemented with 1 liang each of Gu Sui Pu and Luo Shi Teng, taken every other day or every third day; four months later, the patient’s physical strength recovered, walking and squatting became effortless, and the patient began working again. The Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine used the six-ingredient Di Huang Wan to treat 30 cases of severe esophageal epithelial hyperplasia, achieving a recovery rate of 286.7% after one year of medication④. The Longhua Hospital affiliated with the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, in order to explore the relationship between “deficiency syndrome” and the body’s immune function, conducted macrophage phagocytic activity tests, lymphocyte transformation tests, and rose flower tests on some lung cancer patients, confirming that the above three immune indicators in lung cancer patients were generally lower than those of healthy individuals; however, through differentiated treatment using Fu Zheng Pei Ben, strengthening the spleen and benefiting qi, and tonifying the kidneys and strengthening yang, all indicators showed increases, with significant differences between pre- and post-treatment test results (P<0.01) Four, indicating that Fu Zheng Pei Ben has a regulatory effect on both specific and non-specific immunity in lung cancer patients. :4. Leukemia