REGULATORY EFFECT OF CYTOKINE PRODUCTION IN ASTHMA PATIENTS BY SOOJI CHIM (KORYO HAND ACUPUNCTURE THERAPY)

• Published in: Immunopharmacology and immunotoxicology Vol. 24; no. 2; pp. 265 - 274
• Main Authors: Jeong, Hyun-Ja, Kim, Bong-Suk, Kim, Kyung-Suk, Kim, Hyung-Min
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Monticello, NY Informa UK Ltd 01.01.2002; Taylor & Francis; Dekker
• Subjects: Acupuncture Therapy - methods; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Asthma - immunology; Asthma - therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Cytokines - biosynthesis; Cytokines - blood; Female; Hand; Humans; Immunomodulators; Interferon-gamma - blood; Interleukin-2 - blood; Interleukin-4 - blood; Interleukin-6 - blood; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Th1 Cells - immunology; Th2 Cells - immunology; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - biosynthesis; Asia; South Korea; Korea; Human; Immune response; Respiratory disease; Immunomodulation; Cytokine; Th1 lymphocyte; Cellular immunity; Inflammation; Hand; Asthma; Immunosuppression; Treatment; Th2 lymphocyte; Obstructive pulmonary disease; Acupuncture
• ISSN: 0892-3973; 1532-2513
• DOI: 10.1081/IPH-120003759

ABSTRACT Acupuncture has become quite familiar to many Koreans not only for pain, but also for many other health problems, both in acute and chronic conditions. Actually, acupuncture is a therapeutic technique that is part of a larger system of traditional oriental medicine. There are several styles of acupuncture. We investigated the regulatory effects of cytokine production in peripheral blood of asthma patients (AP) by SOOJI CHIM (Koryo Hand Acupuncture Therapy, KHT). Clinical signs of asthma disappeared markedly by KHT. The mean interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-6 plasma levels were lower in the AP group than in the normal group, whereas the mean interferon (IFN)-γ, IL-4, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels were higher in the AP group. Plasma IFN-γ and IL-2 levels derived from T helper (Th)1 cells and IL-4 levels derived from Th2 cells were elevated in the AP group by KHT. Especially, plasma IL-6 levels derived from Th2 cells were elevated significantly in the AP group by KHT. Reduced plasma levels of TNF-α were observed in the AP group by KHT. Plasma IgE levels were also measured but there were no significant differences from each other. During the KHT, there were no other adverse effects. These results indicate that KHT has a good asthma treatment effect, and that its action may be due to the regulation of cytokine production.