IMMUNOMODULATING EFFECTS OF "Tien-Hsien liquid" ON PERIPHERAL BLOOD MONONUCLEAR CELLS AND T-LYMPHOCYTES FROM PATIENTS WITH RECURRENT APHTHOUS ULCERATIONS

Recurrent aphthous ulcerations (RAU) represent a common oral mucosal disease with altered humoral and cellular immunities. In our institution, an immunomodulating agent, levamisole, is used to treat RAU with satisfactory therapeutic effect. Tien-Hsien liquid (THL) is an extract of Chinese medicinal herbs with immunomodulating effects. To test whether THL has immunomodulating effects on antigen- stimulated proliferation response (PR) of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and T-cells isolated from RAU, patients and to test whether THL is a potential drug for treating RAU, PBMC or T-cells,isolated from RAU patients were incubated with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from Escherica coli, phytohemagglutinin (PHA), staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), glutaraldehyde-in activated tetanus toxoid (TT), glucosyltransferase D ( GtfD), or antigens of Streptococcus mutans in the presence or absence of THL. We found that THL significantly increased the LPS-stimulated PR of PBMC from active RAU patients, the GtfD-stimulated PR of PBMC and of T - cells from inactive RAU patients, and the S. mutans- stimulated PR of PBMC from inactive RAU patients. However, THL could also significantly reduce the SEB-stimulated PR of PBMC and of T-cells from active RAU patients and S. mutans- stimulated PR of T-cells from active RAU patients. These results suggest that THL can modulate the antigen-stimulated PR of PBMC and T-cells from RAU patients. Therefore, it may be a potential immunoceutical agent for treatment of RAU