Volume 5, Issue 1, Pp15-18, 2022

EFFECT OF ACUPUNCTURE ON PERIPHERAL BLOODLYMPHOCYTE SUBSETS IN PATIENTS WITHCANCER-RELATED FATIGUE

Dan Li^1#, Hong-mei Ding^2#, Cang-huan Zhao¹, Jing Hu¹, Peng Qing^1*

¹The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China

²The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China

#Corresponding E-mail: qingpeng5602@163.com

#Co-first authors: Dan Li and Hong-mei Ding contributed equally in this study and should be considered co-first authors.

Abstract: Objective: To study the effect of acupuncture on peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets inpatients with cancer-related fatigue(CRF). Methods: A total of 80 patients with CRF were randomizedinto an observation group and a control group, and finally 67 patients completed this trial(36 cases in theobservation group, 31 cases in the control group). Patients in the control group were treated withconventional chemo radio therapy and symptomatic treatment, while no particular anti-fatigueintervention was adopted. On the basis of treatment in the control group, acupuncture was applied atBaihui(GV 20), Guanyuan(CV 4), Qihai(CV 6), Fengchi(GB 20), Zusanli(ST 36), Sanyinjiao(SP 6) in theobservation group, once a day, 5 times as one course, with 2 days interval between each course, totally 4courses were required. Before and after treatment,the peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in patients withCRF were monitored by flow cytometry (FC). Results: After acupuncture, the levels of CD3+,CD4+,CD19+ and the ratio of CD4+/CD8 + of the observation group increased significantly(P<0.05).However, the levels of CD8+,CD16+CD56+ of the observation group decreased significantly(P<0.05).In the control group, the levels of CD3+,CD4+ were decreased significantly due to radiotherapyor chemotherapy (P<0.05). But the level of CD16+CD56+ increased significantly (P<0.05).Afteracupuncture, the levels of CD3+,CD4+,CD19+ and the ratio of CD4+/CD8 + of the observation group wassignificantly higher than these of the control group (P<0.05).However, the level of CD16+CD56+ of theobservation group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion:Acupuncture can increase the levels of CD3+, CD4+,CD19+ and the ratio of CD4+/CD8 + and decreasethe level of CD8+,CD16+CD56+,which indicated that acupuncture can improve the immune function ofCRF patients.

Keywords: Cancer related fatigue(CRF); Acupuncture; lymphocyte subsets