Immunosuppressive Acidic Protein- Haematological correlates in HIV infected subjects

Background: Immunosuppressive Acidic protein (IAP) is a marker of the extent of immune defects occurring in most cancers. Its correlation with CD4 cell count used as an indicator of immune function and disease progression in Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) infection is not well documented.Aims and Objectives: To determine if IAP levels correlates with immunosupression and haematopathology occurring in HIV/AIDS infection.Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti. One hundred and five participants consisting of 85 HIV infected test subjects and 20 control subjects were enrolled into the study. CD4 counts was obtained using SL Cyflow machine, IAP levels determined using ELISA kit for human IAP and Full blood count for all participants was obtained using Sysmex KX-21N Haematology Analyzer. Regression and correlation analysis was done on data using SPSS 28.Results: IAP showed a negative correlation with CD4 count (r= -0.6), (r= -0.9) and (r= -0.2) in the ART, NART and control groups. The pattern of the results was similar with other parameters except in Neutrophils (r= 0.2) (r= 0.3) and (0.1), Eosinophil (r= 0.6) (r= -0.4) and (r= -0.2) and Lymphocyte (r = -0.3) (r= -0.02) and (r= 0.05) in the ART, NART and control groups respectively. CConclusion: The outcome of this study show that a strong negative relationship exist between IAP and other immunohaematological parameters used for monitoring Immune status in HIV infection; however the information gotten is not sufficient to indicate IAP as a predictor of immune status in HIV infection. Further studies are therefore required to better elucidate the mechanism of increased IAP levels at different clinical stages of HIV infection.Asian Journal of Medical Sciences Vol.8(5) 2017 8-16

Efficacy and Safety of Orally Administered Lentinula edodes Mycelia Extract for Patients Undergoing Cancer Chemotherapy: A Pilot Study

Lentinula edodes mycelia extract (L.E.M.) is extensively utilized as an herbal medicine. However, its safety and effectiveness have not yet been scientifically verified. In this study, we investigated its safety and its influence on quality of life (QOL) and the immune response in patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy. Seven patients were studied in total. The patients were undergoing postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer (n = 3) or gastrointestinal cancer (n = 2), or were receiving chemotherapy to prevent recurrence of gastrointestinal cancer (n = 2). The first course of treatment was chemotherapy alone and the second was chemotherapy plus concomitant administration of L.E.M. Adverse events and changes in the QOL score, lymphocyte subpopulations, lymphocyte activity and serum immune indices were evaluated during the study period. No adverse events attributable to L.E.M. were observed. Compared to the pre-chemotherapy state, no changes in QOL or immune parameters were noted after the first chemotherapy course. In contrast, following the second course of combined therapy, improvements were noted in QOL (p < 0.05), NK cell activity (p < 0.05) and immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP) (p < 0.01) levels. Although a future large-scale investigation is necessary to confirm these results, these data suggest that the concomitant of L.E.M. with chemotherapy is safe and improves the QOL and immune function of patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Efficacy of FOLFOX4 in patients with hypoalbuminemia or immune impairment

e15141 Background: The effects of chemotherapeutic agents are understood to be regulated by many factors including tumor factors such as sensitivity to drugs and host factors. Among these host factors, nutritional conditions and immune function of cancer-bearing host has been told to relate the effects of chemotherapy, however, it has not been clarified yet. Methods: We have analysed the relationships between the effects of FOLFOX4 and nutritional markers such as serum albumin concentrations and immunology markers including counts of lymphocytes and neutrophils, the ratios of these counts G/L: granulocytes/lymphocytes) and serum concentrations of immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP) in the patients with disseminated colorectal cancer who have received FOLFOX4. All these blood examinations were performed before the first administration of FOLFOX4 as a first line chemotherapy in 18 patients with disseminated colorectal cancer. Results: Firstly serum albumin levels have shown significant correlation to lymphocyte counts and did inverse correlation to neutrophil counts and G/L ratios. The albumin levels in the patients with PD of FOLFOX outcome was significantly lower than in the patients with PR(p<0.05) and SD (p<0.05). The lymphocytes counts in the patients with PD were significantly lower than in those with PR (p<0.05) and SD (p<0.05). Neutrophil counts, on the other hand, was significantly higher in the patients with PD than in those with PR (p<0.01) and SD (p<0.05). IAP, have been recognized as a marker of immune-suppression in patients with cancer was higher in the patients with PD. Conclusions: Thus the nutritional status is closely related to the immune status in patients with cancer, and the markers of these conditions may present important informations in prediction of results of cancer chemotherapy. No significant financial relationships to disclose.