The American Journal of Chinese Medicine

The American Journal of Chinese Medicine, Vol.33, No.4, 559~571
2005 World Scientific Publishing Company
Institute for Advanced Research in Asian Science and Medicine

Tien-Hsien Liquid Can Modulate Antigen-Stimulated Cytokine Production by T-Cells Isolated from Patients with Recurrent Aphthous Ulcerations

Andy Sun, *.‡ Jean-San Chia, *.†.‡Won-Bo Wang† and Chun-Pin Chiang*.‡
*School of Dentistry and †Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan *Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

Abstract : Recurrent aphthous ulcerations (RAU) represent a common oral mucosal disease with altered humoral and cellular immunities. Tien-Hsien liquid (THL) is an extract of Chinese medicinal herbs with immunomodulating effects. Our previous study found that THL can modulate the antigen-stimulated proliferative response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and T-cells isolated from RAU patients.

In this study, we further tested whether THL can modulate the antigen-stimulated cytokine production by T-cells isolated from RAU patients. To achieve this goal, T-cells isolated from 19 RAU patients were incubated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA), glutaraldehyde-inactivated tetanus toxoid (TT), glucosyltransferase D (GtfD), or antigens of Streptococcus mutans in the presence or absence of THL. The levels of interleukin (IL)-2, interferon-?(IFN-?), tumor necrosis factor-a(TNF-a), IL-6, or IL-10 in the supernatants of T-cell cultures were measured by cytokine enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits.

We found that THL significantly increased the PHA- or TT-stimulated TNF-a, IL-6, and IL-10 production by T-cells isolated from RAU patients. However, THL could also significantly decrease the TT-stimulated IL-2 production, the GtfD-stimulated IL-2, TNF-a, IL-6 and IL-10 production, and the S. mutans-stimulated IFN-?, TNF-aand IL-10 production by T-cells isolated from RAU patients. These results indicate that THL can modulate the antigen-stimulated cytokine production by T-cells isolated from RAU patients.

Because RAU is probably a Th1-mediated disease with elevated level of IL-2, IFN-?, TNF-aand IL-6 in either the patient’s sera or oral lesions and these increased levels of cytokines can be reduced by THL, we suggest that THL may be a potential immunoceutical agent for treatment of RAU.

Keywords: Chinese Medicinal Herbs; Tien-Hsien Liquid; Cordyceps sinensis (CS);
Oldenlandia diffusae (OD); Indigo pulverata levis; T-Lymphocyte;
Recurrent Aphthous Ulcerations.