ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the short-term efficacy of Shenmai injection combined with FOLFOX chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer and its effects on immune function and tumor markers. Methods:Eighty-two patients with advanced gastric cancer who received treatment in Shengzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China between June 2018 and June 2020 were included in this study. They were randomly assigned to receive either FOLFOX chemotherapy (control group, n = 41) or Shenmai injection combined with FOLFOX chemotherapy (observation group, n = 41). All patients received three 21-day courses of treatment. Short-term efficacy of chemotherapy and improvement in quality of life were compared between the two groups. Immune function, expression of tumor markers (carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 724) and adverse reactions were determined before and after three courses of treatment. Results:Total effective rate in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [70.73% (29/41) vs. 46.34% (19/41), χ2 = 5.025, P < 0.05]. The proportion of patients had improved quality of life in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [78.05% (32/41) vs. 56.10% (23/41), χ2 = 4.473, P < 0.05]. After three courses of treatment, the proportion of CD 3+ and CD 4+ cells and the ratio of CD 4+/CD 8+ cells in the observation group were (58.39 ± 3.14)%, (38.79 ± 2.35)% and (1.54 ± 0.17), respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the control group [(48.10 ± 3.01)%, (30.10 ± 1.78)%, (0.92 ± 0.15), t = 15.148, 18.875, 17.511, all P < 0.05]. After three courses of treatment, serum carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 724 levels in the observation group were (6.98 ± 1.45) μg/L and (7.85 ± 1.76) μg/L, respectively, which were significantly lower than those in the control group [(15.47 ± 3.21) μg/L, (18.97 ± 3.25) μg/L), t = 15.434, 19.265, both P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups ( P > 0.05). Conclusion:Shenmai injection combined with FOLFOX chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer exhibits good short-term efficacy, can improve the immune function, and reduce the levels of carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 724.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the effect of immunotherapy with dendritic cells and cytokine-induced killer cells combined with chemotherapy on apoptosis-related genes and immune function in patients with middle- and advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer.Methods:A total of 100 patients with middle- and advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer who received treatment in Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, China from February 2018 to May 2019 were included in this study. They were randomly divided into control and observation groups ( n = 50/group). The two groups were given chemotherapy with pemetrexed and cisplatin. The observation group was given immunotherapy with dendritic cells and cytokine-induced killer cells based on chemotherapy with pemetrexed and cisplatin. Changes in apoptosis-related genes [primary autosomal recessive microcephaly gene (MCPH1), ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM), ataxia telangiectasia mutated and Rad3 related (ATR), transcription factor 21 (TCF21)] and immune function were monitored. Clinical efficacy of immunotherapy with dendritic cells and cytokine-induced killer cells combined with chemotherapy with pemetrexed and cisplatin in the treatment middle-and advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer was assessed. Results:After treatment, expression of MCPH1, ATM, ATR and TCF21 in the observation group was 301.11 ± 41.12, 239.98 ± 30.15, 270.01 ± 36.01, 270.01 ± 34.02, respectively, which was significantly higher than that in the control group [101.32 ± 15.32, 103.00 ± 13.97, 101.12 ± 14.90, 100.20 ± 14.99, t = 32.194, 29.149, 30.644, 32.299, all P < 0.001]. The proportion of the number of Th1-positive cells in the number of CD +4 T cells in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [(29.00 ± 3.41)% vs. (22.61 ± 3.22)%, t = 9.634, P < 0.001]. The proportion of the number of Th17-,Th2 and CD +4CD +25Treg-positive cells in the number of CD +4 T cells in the observation group were (0.89 ± 0.10)%, (12.01 ± 1.36)%, (11.02 ± 1.92)%, respectively, which were significantly lower than those in the control group [(1.70 ± 0.20)%, (17.61 ± 2.20)%, (18.70 ± 2.40%)%, t = 25.614, 15.310, 17.670, all P < 0.001]. Total effective rate in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [52.0% (26/50) vs. 30.0% (15/50), χ2 = 5.002, P < 0.05]. Conclusion:Immunotherapy with dendritic cells and cytokine-induced killer cells combined with chemotherapy with pemetrexed and cisplatin can induce apoptosis and regulate immune function. The combined therapy exhibits better clinical efficacy in the treatment of non-small cell lung than chemotherapy alone.
