Studies on the treatment for intractable asthma

Part 1. Inhibitory effect of Saiboku-to on type IV allergy in intractable asthma

Abstract

In an effort to clarify the clinical and pharmacological effects of Saiboku-to in intractable asthmatics, the effect of a 6 month administration of Saiboku-to on the production of antigen-specific lymphokines were studied.
The results revealed, first, that a significant decrease in attacks and steroid-sparing effects were obtained after 3 to 4 months administration of Saiboku-to (P<0.05). Second, peripheral blood lymphocyte blastogenesis by Candida was significantly suppressed after 3 months (P<0.05), though it was not by PHA. Moreover interleukin 2 (IL-2) production and neutrophil chemotatic activity (NCA) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated by Candida were significantly decreased after 3 months (P<0.01), but not by PHA. Third, in vitro production of both IL-2 and NCA by Candida were suppressed in a dose dependent manner and the augmented expression of IL-2 receptors by Candida was decreased by Saiboku-to.
These results suggest that the action mechanism of Saiboku-to in intractable asthma seems to be the suppression of type IV allergy. Therefore Saiboku-to therapy might be a useful treatment for intractable asthma due to its relatively less serious side effects as compared with corticosteroids.