title: Reduction of adverse effects by a mushroom product, active hexose correlated compound (AHCC) in patients with advanced cancer during chemotherapy--the significance of the levels of HHV-6 DNA in saliva as a surrogate biomarker during chemotherapy.
abstract: Chemotherapy improves the outcome of cancer treatment, but patients are sometimes forced to discontinue chemotherapy or drop out of a clinical trial due to adverse effects, such as gastrointestinal disturbances and suppression of bone marrow function. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a mushroom product, active hexose correlated compound (AHCC), on chemotherapy-induced adverse effects and quality of life (QOL) in patients with cancer. Twenty-four patients with cancer received their first cycle of chemotherapy without AHCC and then received their second cycle with AHCC. During chemotherapy, we weekly evaluated adverse effects and QOL via a blood test, EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire, and DNA levels of herpes virus type 6 (HHV-6) in saliva. The DNA levels of HHV-6 were significantly increased after chemotherapy. Interestingly, administration of AHCC significantly decreased the levels of HHV-6 in saliva during chemotherapy and improved not only QOL scores in the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire but also hematotoxicity and hepatotoxicity. These findings suggest that salivary HHV-6 levels may be a good biomarker of QOL in patients during chemotherapy, and that AHCC may have a beneficial effect on chemotherapy-associated adverse effects and QOL in patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Complementary & Alternative Medicine , Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine , Osaka , Japan.
authors.forename: Toshinori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Hayato
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Urushima
authors.forename: Miki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakaue
authors.forename: Sayoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yukawa
authors.forename: Hatsumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.forename: Takumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Igura
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitagawa
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kondo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012463:Saliva / Q000821:virology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D011134:Polysaccharides; C499366:Active Hexose Correlated Compound