Relationship between various Chinese medicine types and T-cell subsets in patients with ulcerative colitis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between various Chinese medicine (CM) types and T-cell subsets (CD4(+) and CD8(+)) in the colonic mucous membranes of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC).


METHODS
Fifty UC patients were enrolled, after differentiation into four types by CM syndromes, i.e., the internal heat-damp accumulation type (IHDA), the qi-stagnancy with blood stasis type (QSBS), the Pi-Shen yang-deficiency type (PSYD) and the yin-blood deficiency type (YBD). From every patient, 3-5 pieces of intestinal mucous membrane tissues were taken through colonoscopy to determine the levels of the T-cell subsets (CD4(+) and CD8(+)) using immunohistochemical method. The results were compared with those in the normal control.


RESULTS
The level of CD8(+)increased and the ratio of CD4(+)/CD8(+)decreased mainly in colonic mucous membranous tissues in UC patients. The level of CD4(+)decreased significantly in IHDA types (P<0.01), but decreased only slightly in the PSYD, QSBS and YBD types. CD8(+)increased significantly in the IHDA types (P<0.01), but only slightly in the other three types.


CONCLUSIONS
The IHDA types of UC are closely related with T-cell subsets. The difference of T-cell subsets in various IHDA types of UC patients has provided a theoretical basis for syndrome differentiation in the CM typing of UC.
Chang
Ting-min
TM
Department of Internal Digestive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College, Henan 453100, China.
Li
Xiu-min
XM
Zhao
Xi-de
XD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D001775:Blood Circulation; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D003106:Colon / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D003113:Colonoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D019413:Qi; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects*; D016711:Yang Deficiency / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D016710:Yin Deficiency / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult