• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.173-182
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• 2004

We have shown that long-term intake of Korean red ginseng (KRG) delays disease progression in HIV-I infected patients. In the present study to investigate whether this slow progression was associated with protective human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles as well as with KRG-intake, we have performed clinical analysis of 31 HIV-1 infected patients who have been living for more than 10 years without any antiretroviral therapy. Average amount of KRG-intake over $130\;{\pm}16$ months was $4,797\;{\pm}4,921\;g$ and the annual decrease in CD4 T cell (AD) was $30\;{\pm}29{\mu}L$. We observed significant correlations among amount of KRG-intake, AD(r=-0.53, P < 0.01), and plasma HIV-1 RNA copy (r=-0.35, P < 0.05), along with a significant correlation between KRG-intake and HLA score AD(r=-0.49, P < 0.01), whereas there was no significant correlation between HLA score and AD or viral load. When the 31 patients were divided into 2 groups based on the amount of KRG-intake, the $AD(14/{\mu}L)$ in the 16 patients who had taken higher amounts of KRG was significantly less than that $(49/{\mu}L)$ in the 15 patients with a little or no KRG-intake (P < 0.01). These data indicate that KRG-intake sig­nificantly slows CD4 T cell depletion in HIV-1 infected patients.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.585-591
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• 2022

Background: Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) extract has been shown to have beneficial effects in patients with atherosclerosis, suggesting that KRG extract may be effective in preventing subsequent ischemic stroke in patients with severe atherosclerosis. Methods: This double-blind, placebo-controlled trial randomized patients with severe atherosclerosis in major intracranial arteries or extracranial carotid artery, to ginseng group and placebo group. They were given two 500-mg KRG tablets or identical placebo tablets twice daily for 12 months according to randomization. The primary endpoint was the composite of cerebral ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack during 12 months after randomization. The secondary endpoints were change in volumetric blood flow of the intracranial vessels and the incidence of newly developed asymptomatic ischemic lesions. Any adverse events were monitored. Results: Fifty-eight patients were randomized from June 2016 to June 2017, 29 to ginseng and 29 to placebo, and 52 (28 and 24, respectively) completed the study. One patient in the placebo group, but none in the ginseng group, experienced ischemic symptoms (p = 0.46). Changes in volumetric blood flow and the presence of ischemic brain lesions did not differ significantly in the two groups, and none of these patients experienced adverse drug reactions. Conclusion: Ginseng was well tolerated by patients with severe atherosclerosis, with these patients showing good compliance with ginseng dosing. Ginseng did not show significant effects compared with placebo, although none of the ginseng-treated patients experienced ischemic events. Long-term studies in larger patient populations are required to test the effect of ginseng.