title: Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench modulates human T-cell cytokine response.
abstract: The study objective was to evaluate the composition of a neutral and weakly acidic water-soluble extract from Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench (EchNWA) previously shown to modify murine influenza infection, and to assess immunomodulatory effects on human T-cells. EchNWA extract from fresh aerial parts was extracted with water, ethanolic precipitation, and size-exclusion chromatography. The chemical profile of EchNWA was characterized by chromatography (size-exclusion, HPLC, GC-MS), and small molecule fingerprint analysis performed by HPLC-PDA. Jurkat T-cells at high and low cell density were pretreated or not with doses of EchNWA, followed by activation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate plus ionomycin (PMA+I). Interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon gamma (IFNg) cytokine secretions were measured by multi-cytokine luminex technology. Results showed that EchNWA contains 80% polysaccharides, predominantly a 10kDa entity; phenolic compounds, cynarin, cichoric and caftaric acids, but no detectable alkylamides. Cytokine production required stimulation and was lower after PMA+I activation in high-density compared to low-density conditions. EchNWA mediated a strong dose-dependent enhancement of high-density T-cell production of IL-2 and IFNg response to PMA+I. EchNWA alone did not stimulate T-cells. EchNWA enhanced mean fluorescence intensity of IL-2 in Jurkat T-cells activated by PMA+1 or ionomycin alone. Conversely EchNWA mediated modest but significant suppression of IFNg response and reduced the percentage of CD25+ T-cells under low-density conditions. Conclusions are that EchNWA polysaccharides, but not phenolic compounds have dose-related adjuvant effects on human T-cell cytokine responses characterized by enhancing and suppressive effects that are regulated by T-cell density.
authors.affiliation: Integrative Medicine Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Fabiana N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.affiliation: Infectious Disease Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Genovefa
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Papanicolaou
authors.affiliation: Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Clara B S
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Edward J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Kennelly
authors.affiliation: Integrative Medicine Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Barrie R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Cassileth
authors.affiliation: Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: scrundle@mail.med.cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cunningham-Rundles
mesh_terms: D002109:Caffeic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology*; D020900:Echinacea / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D009005:Monosaccharides / Q000032:analysis; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000032:analysis; D013386:Succinates / Q000032:analysis; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D002109:Caffeic Acids; D016207:Cytokines; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D009005:Monosaccharides; D010636:Phenols; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011134:Polysaccharides; D013386:Succinates; C100435:chicoric acid; C515101:caftaric acid
keywords: Cytokine response; Echinacea; Human T-cell density; Immune modulation; Neutral and weakly acidic water-soluble extract; Polysaccharides and phenolic compounds; Small molecule fingerprint-analysis