[Relation between treatment with traditional Chinese medicine for recurrent aphthous ulcer and human zinc and copper].

The purpose of the study is to explore the relation between general condition of patients with recurrent aphthous ulcer (RAU) and human zinc and copper with TCM conception of the organism as a whole, and adjustment effect of human body zinc and copper by TCM treatment. Results showed that the average value of serum zinc of 75 cases of RAU was on lower level within normal range, serum copper was normal, the rate of copper to zinc was higher than normal value. Analysis using the TCM theory showed serum zinc of patients of deficiency symptom-complex was lower than excessiveness symptom-complex, the rate of copper to zinc of patients of deficiency symptom-complex was higher than normal range. The zinc content of serum and the rate of copper to zinc were different in patients of various symptom-complexes of RAU. The zinc and copper contents of serum were adjusted, the rate of copper to zinc was normalized and the immune function of T-cell increased distinctly by TCM treatment according to an overall differentiation of symptoms and signs. Thus the therapeutic effect of TCM was better than zinc preparation.