Zytokine als Lektin-induzierte Mediatoren in der Misteltherapie

Author(s): Hostanska, K., Gabius, H. -J.

Journal/Book: therapeutikon. 1990; 3: 136-145.

Abstract: Controlled enhancement of host defense mechanisms can significantly contribute to cancer therapy. When applying proprietary mistletoe extract this desirable stimulation is primarily caused by the ß-galactoside-specific lectin. The optimal dose of this immunomodulatory extract component is 1 ng/kg in patients. Similar values are determined in mice and rabbits with the purified lectin. Monitoring of diverse parameters such as elevation of temperature, neutrophilia with a shift to the juvenile form, enhancement of phagocytic activity of granulocytes a, s well as of cytotoxic activity of NK cells and increase in the number of large granular lymphocytes allows to infer characteristics of an acute phase reaction with increase in host defense mechanisms, supposedly mediated by lectin-augmented cytokine secretion. This assumption is verified by demonstrating the efficacy of the purified lectin to enhance cytokine secretion (TNF-a, IL-1, IL-6), of human mononuclear cells and monocytes in vitro. Increase of secretion is dependent on the specific binding of the lectin to cellular glycoconjugates. Moreover, serum levels for TNF-a and IL-6 in 8 cancer patients are elevated after injection of extract with an optimal lection content (1 ng/kg). Contamination by endotoxin that can induce similar changes is rigorously excluded. Case reports on three patients illustrate the potential benefit of mistletoe extract that contains the optimal lectin dose in supportive application. together with chemotherapy or radiotherapy. It is justified to count mistletoe therapy with the lectin as efficient biomodulator among the traditionally accepted treatment modalities with biological response modifiers.

Keyword(s): Viscum album

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