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This study explored the clinical effect of Shugan Jieyu capsule combined with aerobic exercise on depression. One hundred patients with depression were recruited from Zhengzhou Sixth People's Hospital and were divided into a control group (n = 50) and a research group (n = 50). Patients in the control group received escitalopram alone therapy, while the research group received escitalopram and Shugan Jieyu capsule in conjunction with aerobic exercise. The research group exhibited a better therapeutic effect than the control group (Χ² = 6.06). After therapy, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores of both groups were reduced, and the research group had a lower score than the control group. Following treatment, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and interleukin-2 levels decreased in both groups, and the research group had lower levels than the control group. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores of both groups were reduced, with the research group having a lower score than the control group. The score for each item of the World Health Organization Quality of Life in both groups was elevated after therapy, and the research group had a higher score than the control group. In summary, Shugan Jieyu capsule combined with aerobic exercise can decrease the symptoms of depression and inflammatory response, and promote the efficacy of treatment, sleep quality, and quality of life in patients with depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We performed a prospective multicentre diagnostic study to evaluate the combined interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) release assay for detect active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in China.Methods: Adult patients presenting symptoms suggestive of pulmonary TB were consecutively enrolled in three TB-specialized hospitals. Sputum specimens and blood sample and were collected from each participant at enrolment. The levels of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)-specific antigen-stimulated IFN-γ and IL-2 were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results: Between July 2017 and December 2018, a total of 3245 patients with symptoms suggestive of pulmonary TB were included in final analysis. Of 3245 patients, 2536 were diagnosed as active TB, consisting of 1092 definite TB and 1444 clinically diagnosed TB. The overall sensitivity and specificity of IFN-γ were 83.8% and 81.5%, respectively. In addition, compared with IFN-γ, the specificity of IL-2 increased to 94.3%, while the sensitivity decreased to 72.6%. In addition, the highest sensitivity was achieved with parallel combination of IFN-γ/IL-2, with a sensitivity of 87.9%, and its overall specificity was 79.8%. The sensitivity of series combination test was 68.5%. Notably, the sensitivity of series combination test in definite TB (72.1%) was significantly higher than that in clinically diagnosed TB (65.8%).Conclusion: In conclusion, we develop a new immunological method that can differentiate between active TB and other pulmonary diseases. Our data demonstrates that the various IFN-γ/IL-2 combinations provides promising alternatives for diagnosing active TB cases in different settings. Additionally, the diagnostic accuracy of series combination correlates with severity of disease in our cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Taraxasterol (TAS) mitigates concanavalin A (Con A)-induced hepatitis in mice. • TAS reduces IL-2 secretion in Con A-treated mice and Con A-stimulated lymphocytes. • TAS reduces the expression of IL-2Rɑ (CD25) on lymphocytes upon Con A stimulation. • TAS suppresses IL-2/IL-2R signaling in lymphocytes involving NF-κB, PDK1 and STAT3/5. Discovery of anti-inflammatory drugs that can suppress T lymphocyte activation and proliferation by inhibiting TCR/CD3 and IL-2/IL-2R signaling is still needed in clinic, though rapamycin and other related reagents have made great success. Taraxasterol (TAS) is an active ingredient of dandelion, an anti-inflammatory medicinal herb with low in vivo toxicity that has long been used in China. Yet the action mechanism of TAS on lymphocytes remains elusive. The anti-inflammatory effects of TAS were evaluated in C57BL/6 mouse primary lymphocytes stimulated with concanavalin A (Con A) in vitro and in mouse model of Con A-induced acute hepatitis in vivo. Our results showed that TAS significantly suppressed Con A-induced acute hepatitis in a mouse model, reducing the hepatic necrosis areas, the release of aminotransferases, and the production of IL-2 and other inflammatory cytokines. Supporting this, in vitro study also showed that TAS reduced the production of IL-2 and the expression of IL-2 receptor subunit α (CD25) upon the stimulation of Con A, which was likely mediated by suppressing NF-κB activation. The downstream pathways of IL-2/IL-2R signaling, including the activation of PI3K/PDK1/mTOR, STAT3 and STAT5, were also suppressed by TAS. Consistently, Con A-induced T cell proliferation was also inhibited by TAS in vitro. Our data indicate that TAS can suppress both T lymphocyte activation and cell proliferation by down-regulating IL-2 expression and its signaling pathway thereby ameliorating Con A-induced acute hepatitis, highlighting TAS as a potential drug candidate for treating inflammatory diseases including autoimmune hepatitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]