Potential Adjuvant Effects of Nigella sativa Seeds to Improve Specific Immunotherapy in Allergic Rhinitis Patients

To investigate the effects of Nigella sativa seed supplementation on symptom levels, polymorphonuclear leukocyte [PMN] functions, lymphocyte subsets and hematological parameters of allergic rhinitis. Twenty-four patients randomly selected from an experimental group of 31 [mean age 34 years] sensitive to house dust mites with allergic rhinitis and a control group of 8 healthy volunteers [mean age 23 years] were treated with allergen-specific immunotherapy in conventional doses for 30 days. After a month of immunotherapy, 12 of the 24 patients and the 8 healthy volunteers were given N. sativa seed supplementation [2 g/day orally] for 30 days. The remaining 12 patients continued only on immunotherapy during the same period. The other 7 patients were given 0.1 ml saline solution subcutaneously once a week as a placebo. The symptom scores, PMN functions, lymphocyte subsets and other hematological parameters were evaluated before and after all treatment periods. There was a statistically significant increase in the phagocytic and intracellular killing activities of PMNs of patients receiving specific immunotherapy, especially after the addition of N. sativa seed. The CDS counts of patients receiving specific immunotherapy plus N. sativa seed supplementation significantly increased compared to patients receiving only specific immunotherapy. PMN functions of healthy volunteers significantly increased after N. sativa seed supplementation compared to baseline. N. sativa seed supplementation during specific immunotherapy of allergic rhinitis may be considered a potential adjuvant therapy

Comparison of Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte Functions in Elderly Patients and Healthy Young Volunteers

To compare the polymorphonuclear leukocyte [PMN] functions [phagocytosis and intracellular killing activity] of elderly patients with healthy young volunteers. Fifty-nine elderly patients who had various diseases [cancer, hypertension and diabetes mellitus, DM] and 10 healthy young volunteers were included in this study. Ficoll-Hypaque gradient centrifugation was used to isolate PMNs from venous blood containing EDTA [0.1 g/ml]. Phagocytosis and intracellular killing activity of neutrophils were assayed using a modification of Alexander's method, in which serum opsonins, number of neutrophils and number of microorganisms are standardized in order to detect both increases and decreases in phagocytosis and intracellular killing as well as combined abnormalities of these two functions. The least significant difference test was used to compare the results in the two groups. Phagocytic activity of PMNs from patients with cancer was significantly higher than that of healthyyoung volunteers [p < 0.05] and elderly patients with hypertension and DM [p < 0.05]. There was no statistical difference between the phagocytic activity of PMNs from elderly patients with hypertension and DM and healthy young volunteers [p > 0.05]. The intracellular killing activity of PMNs from elderly patients with hypertension, DM and cancer was significantly lower than that of healthy young volunteers [p = 0.001, p < 0.0001, p = 0.003, respectively]. The intracellular killing activity of PMNs from elderly patients was significantly decreased when compared with that of healthy young volunteers. Ageing, chronic diseases and drugs used in the treatment of these elderly patients may be the cause for decreased intracellular killing activity