Affiliations: R&D Center, Sunstar Inc. 3-1, Asahi-Machi,
Takatsuki, Osaka 569-1195, Japan | Immunogenetic Laboratory, Louis Pasteur Center for
Medical Research, Japan | R&D Division, Q.P. Corporation, Japan
Abstract: Interferon-alpha (IFN-α) producibility has been widely
accepted as one of the important markers to evaluate the immune
status [1,2]. In this study, preliminary clinical tests were carried out
to confirm the immunomodulatory activity of liposomal lactoferrin including
IFN-α producibility and NK activity. In a primary open trial, the
liposomal lactoferrin was administered to five healthy males for one week and
various immunological indices were evaluated. Furthermore, ten healthy males
were administered 319 mg per day of liposomal or non-liposomal lactoferrin for
four weeks, and immune status was monitored at 0, 1 and 4 weeks after the
intake as well as three weeks after stopping it. In this double-blinded
comparative study, the IFN-α producibility was significantly increased
only in the liposomal lactoferrin group during administration and decreased 3
weeks after stopping it, while the IFN-α producibility was unchanged in
the non-liposomal lactoferrin group. Although the biological mechanism of
IFN-α producibility enforced by liposomal lactoferrin has not been wholly
understood, it is suggested to be a novel active constituent having preventive
and therapeutic effects on inflammatory diseases, cancer and infectious
diseases such as chronic hepatitis C.
Keywords: lactoferrin, liposome, multi-lamellar vehicle, immunological indices, interferon-alpha producibility, NK activity, hepatitis C
Journal: BioFactors, vol. 21, no. 1-4, pp. 69-72, 2004
