Prospective Study for korean Red Ginseng Extract as an Immune Modulator following a Curative Surgery in Patients with Advanced Colon Cancer

Abstract

during postoperative chemotherapy after curative surgery in patients with advanced colon cancer. We measured the cir-culating interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-8 (IL-8)and interleukin-10 (IL-10) as a immune modulator to evaluate the effectof Korean red ginseng. The mean preoperative value of IL-2 was similar in the non-RG group and the RG group (5.72pg/ml versus 6.87 pg/ml, p>0.05). The mean value of IL-2 was compared with IL-2 from healthy control group, there wasthe non-RG group comparing with the RG group (30.92 pg/ml versus 36.25 pg/ml, p < 0.05). At postoperative 3 month,the mean values of IL-8 from non-RG and RG group down to 24.56 pg/ml and 21.46 pg/ml respectively. The IL-8 of RGgroup at 3 month showed no difference with that of HC group(21.46 pg/ml versus 16.31 pg/ml, p>0.05). The preoperativemean value of IL-10 of non-RG, RG and HC group was 11.56 pg/ml, 10.8 pg/ml, and 3.68 pg/ml respectively. At post-In spite of decreasing IL-10 levels of both cancer patients group with time, there was still significant difference with thatof HC group (non-RG versus HC group, p=0.00, RG versus HC group, p=0.04). The results of this study suggest that thered ginseng extract may have some imunomodulatory properties associated with IL-2, IL-8 and IL-10 activity in patientswith advanced colorectal cancer during postoperative chemotherapy. We think to need the further studies and a larger sam-the active components asociated with antitumor activity and immunomodulation in patients with advanced colorectal can-cer.