補中益氣湯治療癌症氣虛患者與T淋巴細胞亞群的關係探討

Relationship between T Cell Subpopulations and the Qi Deficiency during the Treatment of Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tan

補中益氣湯若治療氣虛的症狀，首創於金元時代補土學派鼻祖李東垣，癌症患者無論手術治療或化學治療或放射線治療，或三者相結合，其治療後多會出現面色淡白或晦暗、神疲倦怠、四肢無力、食慾不振、噁心嘔吐等症狀，依中醫理論乃「脾胃內傷，元氣不足」的結果。本實驗以補中益氣湯治療十位癌症氣虛患者，獲得顯著改善，並用免疫螢光法以OK系列單株抗體，檢測治療前與治療後T淋巴細胞亞群的變化，俾探討補中益氣湯改善氣虛的症狀，與T淋巴細胞亞群的關係。實驗分治療組與正常對照組，治療組且治療前CD4/CD8比值低於正常組，顯示氣虛的癌症患者治療前的T細胞免疫功能下降。治療後CD4高於正常組，同時亦高於治療前，CD4/CD8治療後比值上升，兩者的變化具有統計學的意義，提示補中益氣湯對T淋巴細胞亞群具有輔助、誘導與抑制、約束的作用。

A total of ten cancer patients with the symptoms of Qi deficiency were treated with Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tan. Before administration of the herbal medicine, all the patients had been received separately for operation, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or a combination treatment. Studies were carried out to observe the changes in the number of T cell subpopulations and the ratio of CD4/CD8 during the treatment of Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tan so as to evaluate the relationship between cellular immunity and the Qi deficiency. T cell subpopulations, CD4 and CD8, were detected by the indirect immunofluorecent method using specific monoclonal antibodies of OKT system. An apparent increase in the number of CD8 with a decreased ratio of CD4/CD8 was found in patients before administration with Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tan, whereas after herbal medicine treatment both T cell subpopulations significantly changed, showing an increase in CD4 and a decrease in CD8. At the same time, the ratio of CD4jCD8 increased again, reaching a high level over the normal control. These results suggest that the Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tan, a prescription usually used for Qi enhancement, has an important effect on augmenting CD4 and suppressing CD8, and in turn potentiating the cellular immunity, that would be very helpful to cancer patients.