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利用DNA微陣列探討中藥麥門冬湯治療氣喘之基因表現變化 許清祥中國醫藥學 |
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| 氣喘是一個全球性的嚴重健康問題，雖然其發生率及嚴重度逐年攀升，然而，截至目前為止，仍然無法有效完全解決這個問題。現今許多過敏性氣喘的研究，其關鍵多在探討如何避免接觸過敏原，及其接觸所帶來一系列過敏發炎反應的發生。近年，臨床醫師常用經特殊處理過的過敏原注射到人體以達到抗發炎效果，稱為「減敏療法」(immunotherapy)，然而，此法所可能引起的全身性副作用，尚未完全確定。因此，研究藥物作用在控制身體過敏作用細胞(effecter cell)及其釋放介質(mediator)，且副作用小的藥物，便成為許多研究的重點。其中類固醇在氣喘治療中，因為廣泛抗發炎作用成為很重要藥物，然而，缺點是會造成人體許多不良副作用，如成長遲緩，骨質疏鬆，腎上腺抑制等等。因此尋求替代療法，以減少對類固醇的依賴便成為相當重要的課題。傳統中藥有幾千年的使用經驗，然而卻缺乏一有系統的科學方法驗證，難以推廣給世人，以達到廣大治療之目的，其中麥門冬湯被用來治療呼吸道疾病將近二千年，他的出處源自東漢張仲景所著【金匱要略】，原文為「火逆上氣、 咽喉不利，止逆下氣者，麥門冬湯主之。」其組成有麥冬、人參、半夏、甘草、粳米、大棗，臨床上亦常被用來治療氣喘，且有一定效果，吾人且已發表論文證明在過敏原誘發的動物模式中，麥門冬湯確實可以降低第二型T細胞所釋放的細胞間白素-4的RNA和蛋白質在週邊血和呼吸道中表現量1，本研究目的，即要透過雙盲試驗，評估本方對家塵過敏原誘發的過敏性氣喘的臨床效果，並評估其對血中total IgE 和塵蹣特異性IgE抗體，及關鍵發炎介質和細胞素如IL-4、IF-γ之影響。 | |
| 關鍵字：氣喘,中藥,微陣列生物晶片 |
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The analysis of gene expression in asthma patients treated with TCM by DNA microarray YU MING CHIENChina Medical College Hospital |
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| Asthma is a serious health problem around the world. In Taiwan, the prevalence of childhood asthma increased from 1.3% in 1974, to 5.07% in 1985 and to 5.8% in 1991; allergic rhinitis increased from 7.84% in 1985 to 20.67% in 1991; atopic eczema was 1.43% in 1974 and 1.23% in 1985, and increased to 3.84% in 1991 (Hsieh KH et al., 1994). In addition, the age of onset of all allergic disease became earlier in recent years. Therefore, allergy in one form or another afflicts more than 20 percent of the population, and the alarming increase in its prevalence, morbidity and mortality over the past decade has led to its designation as the number one environmental disease. Although the incidence and severity of allergic diseases seem to be rising, our methods of treatment still stem from empirical and serendipitous findings rather than from a scientific approach. The main reason for this is that, while basic and clinical immunology have been made great strides over the past two decades, it is |
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| 關鍵字：DNA,microrray,asthma |
