The Effect of Red Ginseng for Postoperative Immune Response in Gastrointestinal Carcinoma

소화기계암의 수술후 면역기능에 대한 고려홍삼의 효과

(Backgrounds) This study was performed to evaluate the usefulness of red ginseng ex rant as adjuvant therapeutic agent improving immune function in immune compromizing gas-trointestinal carcinoma patient. (Material and Methods) We were treated 72 patients with two groups after we were undertaken the curative resection for gastrointestinal carcinoma; 1) only chemotherapy and immunotherapy (control group) 2) chemotherapy and immunotherapy with 4500 mg (15 tablets) red ginseng for 6 months (study group). For investigating the immunologic alternations alongside the numerical changes in peripheral blood Iymphocyte and their subsets in the gastrolntestinal carcinoma patients, Iymphocyte surface markers were determined by monoclonal antibodies on the preoperative day, postoperative 1 months, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months and 18 months in 40 controls and 32 red ginseng groups In gastrointestinal carcinoma patients which was recruited at Korea diversity Hospital from March, 1995 to January, 1997. The patient was measured and compared in both groups with the body weight, total protein and albumin, blood hematocrit and hemoglobin, total leukocyte, lymphocyte and lymphocyte subsets count in peripheral blood through planed schedules. (Couclusion) This data suggests that red ginseng may be useful as a adjuvant therapeutic agent for improving the immune function after curative operation for immune compromizing gastrointestinal carcinoma patients. Key words : Ginseng, Immunity, Gastrointestlnal carcinoma patients.