Effect of acupuncture on regulating IL-17, TNF-ɑ and AQPs in Sjögren's syndrome.

AIM: The aim of the study was to observe the effect of acupuncture on regulating interleukin (IL)-17, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-ɑ, and aquaporins (AQPs) in Sjögren's syndrome (SS) on patients and on non-obese diabetic (NOD) models. METHODS: Levels of anti-AQP 1, 5, 8, and 9 antibodies, IL-17, and TNF-ɑ in the serum of SS patients were compared prior and following 20 acupuncture treatment visits during 8 weeks. While in murine model, five groups were divided to receive interventions for 4 weeks, including control, model, acupuncture, isoflurane, and hydroxychloroquine. The submaxillofacial gland index, histology, immunohistochemistry of AQP1, 5, salivary flow, together with IL-17, and TNF-ɑ expression in peripheral blood were compared among the groups. RESULTS: Acupuncture reduced IL-17, TNF-ɑ, and immunoglobin A levels, and numeric analog scale of dryness in 14 patients with SS (p < 0.05). The salivary flow was increased, and the water intake decreased in NOD mice receiving acupuncture treatments. IL-17 and TNF-ɑ levels in peripheral serum were down-regulated (p < 0.05) and AQP1, 5 expression in the submandibular glands up-regulated in mice. CONCLUSION: The effect on relieving xerostomia with acupuncture may be achieved by up-regulating the expression of AQP1. AQP5, down-regulating levels of IL-17 and TNF-ɑ, and a decrease in inflammation of glands.

Validation of the 2011 and 2016 American college of rheumatology diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia in a Chinese population.

PURPOSE: To provide a foundation for clinical diagnosis, epidemiological investigation and intervention trials, we examined the reliability and validity of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2011 and 2016 survey diagnostic criteria among Chinese patients based on the fibromyalgia severity (FS) scale. METHODS: In this study, 200 fibromyalgia patients diagnosed according to the 1990 criteria (1990c) were matched with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients based on age and gender. The FS scale score and its subscales were examined to determine their correlations with the revised fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQR). Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed, and test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity were examined. RESULTS: The area under the curve (AUC) for the ACR 2011c and 2016c was 0.870 and 0.845, respectively, and the sensitivity and specificity were 78.0% and 96.0% for the 2011c and 70.5% and 98.5% for the 2016c, respectively. The FS scale and its subscales were confirmed to exhibit good internal consistency, and they were significantly correlated with the FIQR, thereby indicating adequate construct validity. Using a lower cutoff value 11 points for the FS scale score based on the generalized pain requirement might be a more effective approach in the Chinese population; this approach yielded an AUC of 0.923 and a sensitivity of 87.0% and specificity of 97.5%. CONCLUSION: The 2011c and 2016c are reliable instruments for diagnosing fibromyalgia patients in China. The FS scale could be a valid tool to assist in fibromyalgia diagnosis, and a cutoff value 11 points is more suitable in Chinese patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03381131.

The Chinese version of the ACR 2011c and 2016c are valid tools for fibromyalgia diagnosis; and a cutoff value 11 points for FS might be more suitable to assist in fibromyalgia diagnosis in Chinese population. The Chinese 2011c and 2016c for fibromyalgia diagnosis can be found as an appendix to this article.

Demographic Characteristics and Clinical Features of Fibromyalgia in China: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to characterize the demographics, fibromyalgia-related symptom severity and quality of life (QOL) among Chinese fibromyalgia patients. METHODS: A total of 124 patients who met the ACR 1990 criteria were recruited. Each subject completed a packet of questionnaires for collecting data on the demographics, medical history and severity of six major symptoms of fibromyalgia (i.e., pain, fatigue, sleep quality, depression, stress and QOL). RESULTS: The majority of the study subjects were women (86.3%), were married (78.2%) and had a mean age of 49.4 years and a median symptom duration of 24 months. Compared to their female counterparts, male patients were younger, were more likely to be employed, had a higher income and were more likely to be current smokers and alcohol drinkers (all p ≦ 0.027). Most patients experienced moderate to severe pain (69.4%), severe fatigue (70.2%) and moderate to severe depression (53.3%). A small percentage (19.4%) of the patients had very poor quality of sleep, and over one third (37.1%) suffered from moderate to severe stress. Less than one third (27.5%) patients' health status was moderately or highly impacted by fibromyalgia. The mental health of men was affected significantly more than that of women, with lower SF-36 scores in the SF-36 mental component summary (p = 0.043) and role emotional (p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: This study has revealed that Chinese fibromyalgia patients might share similar demographics but milder fibromyalgia-related symptoms and better mental QOL compared to patients of other races and ethnic groups. Some differences between male and female patients were found, too. Further cross-sectional studies with a larger sample size and nationwide study sites are needed to replicate those clinical findings.