There are three major categories of immunomodulators commonly used. They are immune promoters, immunosuppressants and immune bidirectional modulators.
I. Immunopromoting agents are
1.Thymus preparations
Such as thymidine, thymosin, is a non-specific immune promoter. The active ingredient is mainly thymosin α1.
2.Interferon (IFN)
Mainly interferon gamma, which has a regulatory effect on cellular immunity, humoral immunity and non-specific immunity, as well as on the self-stabilization of immune function.
3.Interleukin-2
It is a non-specific immune promoter with various functions such as promoting lymphocyte growth, improving phagocytic activity and stimulating lymphocytes to secrete immune interferon (interferon γ).
4.Specific immune ribonucleic acid and specific transfer factor
It is a specific immune promoter, which has the function of transferring specific immune information to normal people, so that the latter can produce antibodies and cellular immunity.
5. Levamisole
It can enhance the function of lymphocytes and macrophages and induce interferon, which can be used in the treatment of viral hepatitis.
6. BCG polysaccharide nucleic acid card
Made from BCG bacterium by hot phenol method to extract polysaccharide nucleic acid in sterilized saline. The main components are 70% polysaccharide, 20% nucleic acid and a variety of immune active substances, the main biological role is to regulate the body’s cellular immunity and humoral immunity, stimulate the reticuloendothelial system, enhance cellular immune function and restore abnormal humoral immune function.
7.Compound glycyrrhizin tablets
The main component is acidamine, glycyrrhizic acid has anti-inflammatory and anti-metabolic effects, can inhibit phospholipase A2 activity, block the metabolic level of arachidonic acid initiation phase, has inhibitory effects on complement classical pathway, has anti-complement effects, can stabilize cell membrane, and has steroid-like effects, has strong inhibitory effects on a variety of metabolic enzymes of glucocorticoids in human body, thus slowing down the metabolism of glucocorticoids, and also has Immunomodulatory effects. Related research results show that glycyrrhizin has a very obvious inhibitory effect on mast cell degranulation, has a very obvious inhibitory effect on the 2 activation pathways of complement, and has a similar effect with adrenocorticotropic hormone.
8.Other
Polysaccharides such as yunzhi polysaccharide, poria polysaccharide, silver fungus polysaccharide, shiitake mushroom polysaccharide, etc., and certain traditional Chinese medicines such as Cordyceps sinensis, Radix et Rhizoma ginseng, and Acanthopanax ginseng also have non-specific immune promoting effects. For example, ginseng, which is known as “king of all herbs”, and astragalus, which is known as “immortal herb”, have anti-tumor, antioxidant, and immune function enhancement effects. The herbal medicines or monomers that have the effect of promoting antibody production and enhancing immune cell response have been isolated from herbal plants as polysaccharides, saponins, alkaloids, etc. More than 51 kinds of ingredients have been shown to activate or regulate T lymphocytes and increase antibody levels, which have the effect of regulating the immune function of the body.
Second, immunosuppressants are
1.Adrenocorticotropic hormone
Glucocorticoids are commonly used in clinical practice. Its main effects are: 1) suppression of immune response; 2) anti-inflammatory effects; 3) effects on liver metabolism: promoting the xenobiotic of glycogen, raising blood sugar and promoting the synthesis of various RNAs in hepatocytes. 4) antitoxic effects: the duration of treatment should depend on the disease, and if used appropriately, it may reverse the disease.
2. Azathioprine
This drug is an inhibitor of cellular metabolism, an antagonist of purine, and has a high toxicity, so it should not be used in general, and the indications must be strictly controlled.
Immune bodily modulators
Certain fungi (such as edible mushrooms) and polysaccharides have bi-directional immunomodulatory effects, which can be used for the treatment of both hypo- and hyper-immune function. Our hospital uses a combination of Chinese and Western immunomodulatory therapy, mainly for thyroid patients with super high immune indexes.