Suzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province 215003, China.
Chin J Integr Med. 2011 Jul;17(7):505-9. doi: 10.1007/s11655-011-0783-2. Epub 2011 Jul 3.
To observe the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) on tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in peripheral blood and joint synovia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to verify the clinical efficacy of EA.
Adopting randomized controlled principle, the 63 RA patients enrolled were assigned to two groups, the 32 patients in the EA group were treated with EA, and the 31 patients in the simple needling (SN) group treated with simple needling. According to the integral-local combining method, the acupoints were selected mainly from yang-meridian and local Ashi points (pain-point). EA or SN was applied every other day, 10 times as a course, and each patient received a total of 3 courses of treatment.
Blood and synovial levels of TNF-α and VEGF were reduced significantly after treatment in both groups. The lowering (absolute value and difference value) of TNF-α as well as the absolute value of VEGF, either in blood or in synovia, were similar in the two groups (P>0.05); but the lowering of VEGF after treatment was more significant in the EA group than that in the SN group (P<0.05).
EA could effectively lower the contents of TNF-α and VEGF in peripheral blood and joint synovia to improve the internal environment for genesis and development of RA, so as to enhance the clinical therapeutic effectiveness.
观察电针对类风湿关节炎（RA）患者外周血肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）和血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）的影响，验证电针对其的临床疗效。
采用随机对照原则，将纳入的 63 例 RA 患者分为电针组（32 例）和单纯针刺组（31 例）。电针组采用电针治疗，单纯针刺组采用单纯针刺治疗。根据“标本结合”的原则，主要选用阳经和局部阿是穴（痛点）。隔日复治，10 次为 1 个疗程，共治疗 3 个疗程。
两组治疗后外周血和滑膜中 TNF-α和 VEGF 水平均显著降低。两组 TNF-α的降低（绝对值和差值）以及血、滑膜中 VEGF 的绝对值均无明显差异（P>0.05）；但电针组治疗后 VEGF 的降低明显优于单纯针刺组（P<0.05）。
电针能有效降低外周血和关节滑膜中 TNF-α和 VEGF 的含量，改善 RA 发生发展的内环境，从而增强临床疗效。
