title: Effect of ginseng polysaccharides and dendritic cells on the balance of Th1/Th2 T helper cells in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of thorascopic administration.of ginseng polysaccharides (GPS) plus dendritic cells (DC) on T helper cell type 1/T helper cell type 2 (Th1/Th2) balance in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 96 NSCLC patients were divided evenly into two groups. The control group was treated with DCs alone and the treatment group was treated with DCs plus GPS. After DCs and GPS were administered thoracoscopically, once a week, 4 times for 30 days, the patients' quality of life was measured with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment-Lung (FACT-L) questionnaire before and after treatment. Serum interferon-γ (INF-γ), interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-2 and IL-5 were examined before and after treatments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The level of Th1 cytokines (INF-γ, IL-2) and the ratio of Th1/Th2 cytokines (INF-γ/IL-4, IL-2/ IL-5) increased in both treatment groups, while Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5) and FACT-L scores decreased (P < 0.01). Furthermore, after treatment Th1 cytokines (INF-γ, IL-2) and the ratio of Th1/Th2 cytokines (INF-γ/IL-4, IL-2/IL-5) were higher in the DCs + GPS group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Conversely, FACT-L scores and Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5) were higher in the control group than in the DCs + GPS group (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The treatment regime of DCs plus GPS had a greater effect on NSCLC patients' immune function as compared with DCs alone. This was evident by increased expression of Th1 cytokines (INF-γ, IL-2) and the ratio of Th1/Th2 (INF-γ/IL-4, IL-2/IL-5), as well as by decreased FACT-L scores and the expression of Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5).
authors.forename: Junjie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Huiping
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiaolong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000637:transplantation*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011788:Quality of Life; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D011134:Polysaccharides