Effectiveness of Lysozyme in the Treatment of Common Cold

An Approach to the Quantitative Medicine with Qualitative Scale

Abstract

Five hundred and seventy five cases diagnosed clinically as common cold were studied in 26 hospitals of 4 districts (Sapporo, Tokyo, Niigata and Fukuoka) during the period of October in 1965 to March in 1966.
Four hundred and sixty two cases out of 575 were taken for statistical analysis.
Cases were divided at random into three groups:(A) lysozyme daily dose of 60 mg. (B) lysozyme 150 mg and (C) placebo group. Double blind method was used throughout the experiment. Eight symptoms, sneezing, nasal discharge, nasal obstruction, sore throat, cough, sputum, headache and maliase were checked up for the criteria of the disease.
In common cold, no objective signs or laboratory findings are available for clinical evaluation of the therapeutic effect and we cannot help taking subjective symptoms.
Eight symptoms were categorized “severe”, “mild” and “not present”. This ordinal scale was translated into ratio scale, which is able to be wholey mathematicaly operated, based on probability sclale method under three hypotheses.
Then, the cumulative indices of 45 patterns added with 8 symptoms scores were calculated, and partial regression contingency of 8 symptoms, was computed as solution of multiple regression equation that makes the cumulative indices to the objective variables and each 8 symptoms scores to the independent variables.
The estimated cumulative index thus obtained:Y=α+ΣβoiXi
Effect of lysozyme treatment was tested by the average index in each 3 groups before and 48 hours after the treatment.
In the case in which treatment was started within 24 hours after onset, improvement of symptom was observed with statistically significance in group A when compared with group C. No difference was observed between groups B and C, A and B.
When the treatment was begun 24-48 hours after onset, no significant differences were seen in each three groups.
From the result obtained it is concluded that daily dose 60 mg of lysozyme is effective in the treatment of common cold when dosage was started within 24 hours after onset.