Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC) Improves Immunological Parameters And Performance Status of Patients with Solid Tumors

 

Katsuaki Uno*1, Kenichi Kosuna*2, Bxiang Sun*2, Hajimi Fujii*2, Koji Wakame*2, Shizuko Chikumaru*3, George Hosokawa*4, Yuji Ueda*3

 

Biotherapy 2000 14(3) 303-309, (Comfort Hospital)

 

Summary

Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC), a member of Phyto-polysaccharide extract, is known to show Biological Response Modifiers (BRM)- like activity. Because Interleukin 12 (IL-12), interferon- y (IFN-y) negatively modulate tumor growth we evaluate the possible effect of AHCC on the production of IL-12 and IFN-y as well as NK cell activity which also plays a critical role in cancer immunity. 38 patients with solid tumors were given AHCC orally for 6 months and blood was drawn every 2 months to verify the affects of AHCC on their immune function. Peripheral, blood lymphocytes (2x10⁵, /200 •1) re-suspended in RPMI1640 with 10% FCS were stimulated with 20 •g/ml of Phytohemagglutinin (PHA) in microtiter plates for 24 hours at 37•C. Supernatant was collected for cytokine assay. IL-12 was measured by the enzyme linked immuno solvent assay (ELISA) kit (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN) and IFN-y was measured by the ELISA kit (Biosource, Nivelles, Belgium). For the assay of NK cell activity 51Cr-sodium chromate-labeled target cells (K-562; 1x10⁴/l0 •1) were mixed with effector cells (1x106/200 •1) and incubated for 3.5 hours at 37¡C. Supernatant fluid was collected and radioactivity was measured. Performance Status (PS) as an indicator of QOL was also evaluated before and after the intake of AHCC, The basal levels of two cytokines and NK activity in patients with tumors were lower than those in normal control. All of three immunological parameters of patents increased to the normal levels after the intake of the compound. These results demonstrate that AHCC improves both immunological abnormalities and clinical conditions.

 

 

Keywords: AHCC, Cancer, Interleukin- 12, Interferon-gamma, Natural Killer cell activity, *1:Comfort Medical Foundation, Immuni-x Xo., Ltd., *2: Amino Up Chemical Co., Ltd., *3: Comfort Hospital, *4:Shonan Kamakura General Hospital