Effects of Allergina on the treatment of otitis media with effusions.
The number of pediatric patients with recurrent otitis media with effusions (ROMEs) is increasing because of the frequency of recurrence. The herbal combination Allergina is used for inflammatory-disease treatment in the Republic of Korea; in our study, the patients with ROME were treated with either Allergina (11 ears) or antibiotics (13 ears). We analyzed the levels of cytokines in middle-ear effusions (MEEs) and compared these levels in the Allergina-treated patients with those in the antibiotics-treated patients. The mean levels of interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-4 in MEEs were significantly higher in the Allergina-treated patients than in the antibiotics-treated patients, whereas levels of IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in MEEs were significantly lower in the Allergina-treated patients than in the antibiotics-treated patients. Clinical signs of ROME disappeared markedly after all the patients were given an oral administration of Allergina. Our experimental studies provide evidence that Allergina may be beneficial in the treatment of ROME by regulating cytokine production.
Jeong
Hyun-Ja
HJ
Department of Oriental Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Chonbuk, Republic of Korea.
Hong
Seung-Heon
SH
Kim
Sung-Chul
SC
Park
Eun-Jeong
EJ
Jang
Chul-Ho
CH
Kim
Kyung-Suk
KS
Kim
Hyung-Min
HM
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005122:Exudates and Transudates / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007378:Interleukins / Q000032:analysis; D019906:Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019720:Otoscopes; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; C467830:Allergina; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D007378:Interleukins; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha