Relationship between various Chinese medicine types and T-cell subsets in patients with ulcerative colitis.
- Author:
Ting-min CHANG
1
;
Xiu-min LI
;
Xi-de ZHAO
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Biopsy; Blood Circulation; CD4-CD8 Ratio; Colitis, Ulcerative; immunology; pathology; Colon; drug effects; immunology; pathology; Colonoscopy; Female; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Middle Aged; Qi; T-Lymphocyte Subsets; drug effects; Yang Deficiency; immunology; pathology; Yin Deficiency; immunology; pathology; Young Adult
- From: Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2009;15(3):220-223
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between various Chinese medicine (CM) types and T-cell subsets (CD4(+) and CD8(+)) in the colonic mucous membranes of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC).
METHODSFifty UC patients were enrolled, after differentiation into four types by CM syndromes, i.e., the internal heat-damp accumulation type (IHDA), the qi-stagnancy with blood stasis type (QSBS), the Pi-Shen yang-deficiency type (PSYD) and the yin-blood deficiency type (YBD). From every patient, 3-5 pieces of intestinal mucous membrane tissues were taken through colonoscopy to determine the levels of the T-cell subsets (CD4(+) and CD8(+)) using immunohistochemical method. The results were compared with those in the normal control.
RESULTSThe level of CD8(+)increased and the ratio of CD4(+)/CD8(+)decreased mainly in colonic mucous membranous tissues in UC patients. The level of CD4(+)decreased significantly in IHDA types (P<0.01), but decreased only slightly in the PSYD, QSBS and YBD types. CD8(+)increased significantly in the IHDA types (P<0.01), but only slightly in the other three types.
CONCLUSIONThe IHDA types of UC are closely related with T-cell subsets. The difference of T-cell subsets in various IHDA types of UC patients has provided a theoretical basis for syndrome differentiation in the CM typing of UC.