The effect of apis Dorsata honey as a complementary therapy to interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels and T lymphocytes of post-chemotherapy breast cancer patients
Issue title: Second International Conference on Women and Societal Perspective on Quality of Life (WOSQUAL-2020)
Affiliations: [a] Faculty of Nursing, Hasanuddin University, Indonesia | [b] Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University, Indonesia | [c] ETN Centre Indonesia, Indonesia | [d] Department of Midwifery, Graduate School, Hasanuddin University, Indonesia
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Yuliana Syam, Faculty of Nursing, Hasanuddin University, Indonesia. E-mail: yulianasyam.fkepunhas@gmail.com
Abstract: BACKGROUND:The overproduction of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in breast cancer cases can aggravate metastases. In comparison, the production of T lymphocytes plays a role in suppressing the development of tumor cells. Honey as a complementary therapy is expected to reduce the overproduction of IL-6 and facilitate the production of T lymphocytes in breast cancer cases. OBJECTIVE:This study aims to determine the effect of Dorsata honey (DH) as a complementary therapy to IL-6 levels and T lymphocytes of post-chemotherapy in breast cancer. METHODS:This study was a quasi-experimental approach that employed a pretest-posttest group control design. As many as 30 post-chemotherapy breast cancer patients at the Central Hospital in Eastern Indonesia were randomly selected into a control group of 15 participants. Additionally, an intervention group of 15 participants was given DH orally three times a day at a dose of 15 ml. The blood sample was taken two times, day 0 of the chemotherapy and day 16 (post-chemotherapy). The level of IL-6 was measured by ELISA, while the data were analyzed by Wilcoxon, independent T-test, and Mann–Whitney test. RESULTS:The results showed that DH did not significantly affect IL-6 levels (p = 0.17). However, there was an increase in T lymphocyte levels with statistically significant differences (p = 0.01) in intervention groups. There was no difference in Il-6 and T lymphocyte levels between the intervention and control groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS:Il-6 levels tend to be constant in the intervention group. However, there is a significant increase in the T lymphocyte levels which can indirectly increase the immune system and inhibit tumor cell growth in patients with breast cancer.
Keywords: Dorsata honey, complementary therapy, breast cancer, IL-6, T lymphocytes
DOI: 10.3233/BD-219014
Journal: Breast Disease, vol. 40, no. s1, pp. S97-S101, 2021
