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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]

Background/Aims: Cytokines IL-2 and IL-8 both participate in immune regulation. However, the relationship between polymorphisms in these two cytokines and the risk of acquired aplastic anemia (acquired AA) has not been explored. Methods: We selected five SNPs including rs11575812, rs2069772 and rs2069762 of IL-2, rs2227306 and rs2227543 of IL-8. SNaPshot genotyping was used to test the genotypes of IL-2 and IL-8 polymorphisms in a population of 101 acquired AA patients and 165 healthy controls. Results: The rs2069762 G allele appeared to be a protective mutation, but no significant differences were found in other four SNPs. We also found that rs2069762 had an impact on the transcriptional regulation. Conclusions: It could be assumed that the rs2069762 polymorphism might reduce the risk of acquired aplastic anemia, while the remaining four SNPs might not contribute to susceptibility to acquired AA in a Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance As a group of important medicine plants, Boschniakia rossica (Cham. et Schltdl) Fedtsch. and B. himalaica Hook．f．et Thoms, which are the only two species in the genus Boschniakia (Orobanchaceae), have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine for their multiple therapeutic uses related to enhanced renal function, erectile dysfunction, defaecate and hepatoprotective. Additionally, the two species are also used as dietary supplements in wine, cosmetics, and other healthy food. Aim of the review By providing comprehensive information and data of genus Boschniakia on botany, traditional medicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological research and toxicology, this review aims to summary the group of natural compounds from Boschniakia discovered so far. The other aims are to reference research findings of their biological activities and functions in medicine, physiology, and cell biology to highlight the compound candidates which can be used for further drug discovery in several pharmaceutical areas including antioxidation, anticancer, anti-inflammation, anti-senile, and immunology. Materials and methods All of the available information on B. rossica and B. himalaica was collected from the electronic resources (such as PubMed, SciFinder Scholar, CNKI, TPL (www.theplantlist.org), Google Scholar, Baidu Scholar, and Web of Science). Results After a comprehensive analysis of the literatures from available online sources, the results show that both species of genus Boschniakia are valuable and popular herbal medicines with potentials to cure various ailments. The phytochemical studies revealed that the chemical compositions of this genus were mainly iridoid glycosides and phenylpropanoid glycosides. To date, 112 compounds have been isolated from the genus, while their crude extracts and purified compounds have been found to possess a wide range of biological activities including anti-senile, antitumor and anticancer, anti-inflammatory, protecting liver, boost memory, anti-oxidation, anti-lipid peroxidative, and antiviral activities. Conclusions The existing traditional uses of the genus Boschniakia have been evaluated, and the properties of the genus are summarized based on botany, phytochemistry, pharmacological research, and toxicology. This review aims to introduce the utilization and application of the genus Boschniakia to modern drug discovery, traditional medicinal plant utilization, herbal species conservation, and the development of medicinal and health-maintaining products. [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]

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most common cancers in southern China. In addition to environmental factors such as Epstein-Barr virus infection and chemical carcinogen exposure, genetic susceptibility has been reported to play a key role in the development of this disease. Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is an immunoregulatory cytokine produced by T cells and plays an important role in antitumor immunity. Variations in the DNA sequence of the IL-2 gene may lead to altered cytokine production and/or activity, and thus modulate an individual's susceptibility to NPC. To test this hypothesis, we investigated whether IL-2 gene polymorphisms and its serum levels are associated with NPC in a Chinese population. We analyzed single-nucleotide polymorphisms of IL-2 gene −330 T/G and +114 T/G in 180 patients with NPC and 200 age- and sex-matched controls, using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and DNA sequencing methods, and serum IL-2 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum IL-2 levels were decreased in patients with NPC compared with controls ( p < 0.01). There were significant differences in the genotype and allele frequencies of IL-2 gene −330 T/G polymorphism between the group of patients with NPC and the control group ( p < 0.05). Moreover, genotypes carrying the IL-2 −330 G variant allele were associated with decreased serum IL-2 levels compared with the homozygous wild-type genotype in patients with NPC. Carrying the IL-2 −330 G variant allele was associated with a decreased ability to produce IL-2, which may contribute to NPC susceptibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytokines have been one of the recent focal points of immunological research in schizophrenia. The present study was to assess the serum levels of some of interleukins in schizophrenia and their relationships with the psychopathological parameters. Seventy physically healthy Chinese patients, who met DSM-III-R criteria for schizophrenia and who were drug-free for at least 2 weeks, were compared with 30 age- and sex-matched Chinese normal controls. The psychopathology of schizophrenia was assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Serum levels of IL-6 and IL-8 were measured by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and serum IL-2 level was assayed by radioimmunometric assay (RIA). Serum levels of IL-2, IL-6 and IL-8 were significantly elevated in patients with a chronic form of schizophrenia (all p<0.05). There was a significant inverse relationship between IL-2 level and the PANSS positive subscale P (r=−0.31, p=0.006) and a significant positive correlation between IL-8 level and PANSS negative subscale N (r=0.25, p=0.036) in schizophrenic patients. In control subjects, a significant and positive relationship between serum IL-2 and IL-6 (r=0.513, p=0.004) was noted, whereas, there was a significant and negative relationship between IL-2 and IL-8 in schizophrenic patients (r=−0.28, p=0.02). Our data confirms and supports the view that immune disturbance is involved in schizophrenia, which is compatible with the possibility that Chinese schizophrenic patients have an ongoing autoimmune process. This immune disturbance is related to the subgroup of schizophrenic patients with characteristic clinical variables. The dysfunction of interaction or inter-adjustment between different cytokines may exist in schizophrenic patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Examines the effects of malariotherapy on HIV-positive patients in China. Application of malariotherapy with injected plasmodia vivax; Measurement of CD4 cells; Increase in the level of Interleukin-2.

Examines the serum level of soluble interleukin-2 receptor and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in maxillary sinus cancer in China. Increase in the local recurrence of the disease; Detection of immunosuppression; Influence of macrophagocytes in the secretion of TNF.