To investigate the relationship between level of serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin -12 (IL-12) and the antitumor effects of cantharidin sodium vitamin B₆.

Forty advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients aged 30 to 80 were divided into experimental groups [paclitaxel + cisplatin (TP program) and sodium cantharidate vitamin B₆] and control group (only TP program). Peripheral blood was drawn in the day of admission and the seventh day, the level of serum TNF-α and IL-12 were detected by method of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the results were analyzed. The World Health Organization (WHO) anticancer drugs in acute and subacute toxicity grading criteria were used to grade the chemotherapy side effects.

The level of serum TNF-α and IL-12 were no significant difference on admission. After chemotherapy, serum TNF-α and IL-12 of experimental group was significantly higher than control group (P<0.000 and P<0.037, respectively). The serum TNF-α and IL-12 of experimental group had upward trend after chemotherapy. After 3 months of treatment, the remission rate was 85.7% in experimental group, significantly higher than 57.8% in the control group (P<0.05). White blood cells, and platelets decrease in the experimental group were significantly reduced than the control group (P<0.001 and P<0.009, respectively), and there are no significant difference in nausea and vomiting reaction between experimental and control groups.

The antitumor effects of cantharidin sodium vitamin B₆ might be related to the high level of serum TNF-α and IL-12, cantharidin sodium vitamin B₆ in combination with chemotherapy in patients can reduce white blood cell and platelet decline after chemotherapy.

Cantharidin/therapeutic use; Cantharidin/analogs & derivatives; Vitamin B₆/therapeutic use; Carcinoma, non-small-cell lung/drug therapy; Tumor necrosis factor-alpha/blood; Interleukin-12/blood