title: Changes of immunological parameters with administration of Japanese Kampo medicine (Juzen-Taihoto/TJ-48) in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prognosis of pancreatic cancer is extremely poor regardless of various combination therapies. Immunoaugumentation against tumor cells was recently A focus. We reported that the population of Foxp3(+)CD25(+)CD4(+) regulatory T cells (Foxp3(+)Treg) was the new parameter for the estimation of host immunity and had correlation with tumor aggressiveness. Here we show the immunoaugumentation effects of Japanese Kampo medicine, Juzen-Taihoto/TJ-48, empirically considered as an immunoaugumentation drug, with investigation of Treg and other immunological parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peripheral Foxp3(+) Treg populations, CD4/CD8 ratio, and CD57(+) cells (NK cells) populations in advanced pancreatic cancer patients (n = 30, stage VI A and B according to TNM classification) were estimated after TJ-48 administration for 14 days before the anti-cancer therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treg populations were significantly increased compared to healthy donors (Mann-Whitney U test, P < 0.001). Administration of Juzen-Taihoto/TJ-48 significantly decreased Treg populations (Mann-Whitney U test, P < 0.001) and increased the CD4/CD8 ratio (Mann-Whitney U test, P < 0.01), even though CD57(+) cell populations did not change significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Juzen-Taihoto/TJ-48 increased regulatory activities in T cells through decreasing Foxp3(+) Treg populations in advanced pancreatic cancer patients. This effect can lead to immunoaugumentation for various combination therapies.
authors: Department of Digestive and Transplant Surgery, Institute of Health Bioscience, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokushima, 3-18-15 Kuramoto, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan, tikemoto@clin.med.tokushima-u.ac.jp.
authors: Tetsuya
authors: T
authors: Ikemoto
authors: Mitsuo
authors: M
authors: Shimada
authors: Shuichi
authors: S
authors: Iwahashi
authors: Yu
authors: Y
authors: Saito
authors: Mami
authors: M
authors: Kanamoto
authors: Hiroki
authors: H
authors: Mori
authors: Yuji
authors: Y
authors: Morine
authors: Satoru
authors: S
authors: Imura
authors: Tohru
authors: T
authors: Utsunomiya
mesh_terms: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D020835:Medicine, Kampo; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C063587:juzentaihoto