ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the regulation and clinical significance of intestinal dripping of Jianpi Tongli (JPTL) Chinese herbs on levels of serum cytokines, such as interleukin-2 (IL-2), soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) and interleukin-12 (IL-12) in treating patients with gastric cancer (GC) at early post-operational stage.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty patients with GC were randomly divided into two groups, i. e. the studied group (n = 30), treated with JPTL Chinese herbs, and the control group (n = 30) treated with normal saline. The medication was started from the 1st day after operation by intestinal dripping daily, 7 days as one course. Levels of IL-2, sIL-2R and IL-12 were observed before and after operation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Significant difference was seen on the 7th day post-operation between the studied and the control group, mainly in aspects of obvious increase of IL-2 and decrease of sIL-2R (P <0.05), no significant difference in IL-12 was found (P >0.05) though there was certain improvement. Compared with pre-operation of the same group, significant difference was found in the studied group in the increased IL-2 and IL-12 and decreased sIL-2R on the 7th day post-operation, while no significant difference in these indexes was found in the control group (P >0.05), though certain improvement was shown.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Early intestinal dripping of JPTL Chinese herbs to post-operational patients with GC could improve their immune function, which was of important significance in early preventing the severe complications, improving the prognosis, and elevating the survival rate.</p>