The Effect Of Chaihu Shugansan Combined With Venlafaxine On T Cell Subpopulation And NK Cell In Patients With Depression

BackgroundsChronic long-term activation of the HPA axis is associated with depression,which induces the immune system dysfunction. Antidepressants can help correct the immune dysfunction in patients.A meta-analysis which combined17reseaches which treated depression by chaihu shugansan showed that the rates of remission and response between chaihu shugansan and antidepressants are equal,but it remains unclear wheather it plays a role by correcting immune dysfunction in patients.ObjectiveTo explore the effect of chaihu shugansan on T-lymphocytes subgroup and natural killer cell (NK cell) in patients with depression.Method41Patients diagnosed with Liver Qi Stagnation Syndrome depression who met the diagnostic criteria of depression in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition(DSM-IV) were randomly assigned to treatment group or control group.The treatment group(20patients) were treated by chaihu shugansan combined with venlafaxine, and control group(21patients) were treated by venlafaxine alone. There was one dropout in each group and altogether data of39 patients were analised by SPSS.Serum levels of T-lymphocytes subgroups and express percent of NK cell between the two groups were compared before treatment and four weeks after treatment respectively in both treatment and control groups. Statistical software SPSS11.5was used to analyze Data.Conduct chi-square tests for all the categorical variables, independent samples t-tests for numerical variables between two groups and Spearman’s correlation analysis for between the scales of the HAMD and the T lymphocyte subgroup, NK cells.ResultS1. There were statistically significant differences between the research group and the control group in the reduction scores of the frequencies of expressions of T cell (maker:CD3+), helper T cell(phenotypic marker:CD4+) and NK cell after the therapy.(P<0.05～0.01)2. The serum levels of T cell (maker:CD3+), helper T cell(phenotypic marker: CD4+) and CD8+T cell declined significantly after treatment in both trial and control group (P<0.05).3. In addition, The serum level of CD8+was negatively associated with HAMD score of patients with depression (P<0.05).4. Furthermore, Incidence of side effects were lower in the trial group than in the control group.CONCLUSIONChaihu shugansan can improve immune function of patients with depression and decrease the side effects of antidepressants.