title: In vivo effects of Ginkgo biloba extract on interleukin-6 cytokine levels in patients with neurological disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGB) on the serum levels of cytokines in patients suffering from chronic, age-related neurological disorders (NDs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients received 9.6 mg of EGB twice daily for 8 weeks. Serum levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) before and after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum level of IL-6 was significantly higher in ND patients as compared to the healthy controls. After these patients underwent 4 and 8 weeks of EGB treatment, their IL-6 levels were shown a statistically significant (P<0.05) decline to near normal values. No significant changes were observed in serum levels of IL-1β and TNF-α after EGB treatment. We also observed an inverse relationship between ND and serum cholesterol levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EGB may exert its beneficial effects in patients suffering from NDs through down-regulation and suppression of IL-6 secretion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Professional Medicine, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, Neurosurgery Division, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ching-Hsiang
authors.forename: Hwang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chiao-Wen
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nan-Fu
authors.forename: Liu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wen-Sheng
authors.forename: Hsiao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ya-Fen
authors.forename: Wu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wen-Tung