Observation Of Acupuncture To Regulate The Immune Function Of Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients

Objective: To investigate the effect of acupuncture on patients at acute stage of ischemic stroke from the angle of immunity regulation and to explore the mechanism of acupuncture treatment on the ischemic stroke.Result: the patients were randomly departed into two groups: the treating group treated by acupuncture combined medicine, and the control group treated by medicine.Levels of serum sIL-2R, IL-6, IL-8 increased significantly at acute stage of ischemic stroke patients. This result suggested that the cytokines played important roles on pathological changes of ischemic lesion during the inflammatory injury of brain at the acute stage. Levels of IgG, IgA, and IgM of humoral immunity system did not change significantly, while C3 and C4 levels were slightly lower than normal. In both groups, some patients had slightly higher serum IgG levels and lower C3, C4 levels than normal, which suggested these patients' immunity tended to decline. At the acute stage, the damaged central nervous system resulted in decline of regulating ability of the body and, as the result, the response and sensibility of body system were weak. Therefore, our observation confirmed that the humoral immunity had potential declining tendency.Levels of serum sIL-2R, IL-6, IL-8 in the two groups decreased significantly after treatment. Levels of serum sIL-2R, IL-6 of the treating group were significantly lower than those of the control group, but serum IL-8 of the treating group did not have significant difference from that of the control group. That the effect on treating group was significantly better than the control group (P<0.05) suggest that acupuncture can induce regulating cytokines. This inducement of acupuncture contributes to improving injury of brain and alleviating edema of brain tissue at acute stage, which is helpful for recovery of neurons function. Regarding levels of immunity cells fluctuated in humoral immunity cells: the higher ones were decreased, and the lower ones were increased by the treatment. This result suggested that the action of acupuncture regulating immunity is bidirectional in the scope of body physiological function. Finally, serum C3, C4 levels that were lower than normal in treating group significantly increased after treatment (P<0.05). This observation suggests that acupuncture can enhance immunity of the patients who suffer from acute ischemic stroke. Conclusion: acupuncture can positively regulate cellular immunity and humoral immunity of patients suffering from ischemic stroke. The possible route is the entire network, including the nerve, endocrine and immunity system. Acupuncture improves physiological function in the utmost physiological scope by adjusting the interaction among neural transmitter, peptide substances, hormones and immunity cells.