RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: In Persian medicine (PM), wet-cupping therapy (WCT) is the most utilized approach. WCT is mostly done between the shoulders, which is referred to as "hejamt-e-aam" in the Persian language. CD4+T cells also refer to T helper lymphocytes play a critical role in the immune system. Naïve CD4+ T cells differentiate into at least four subsets, T helper 1 (Th1), T helper 2 (Th2), T helper 17 (Th17), and T regulatory (Treg) cells. The master regulator controlling each subset have been defined as follows, Tbet (Th1), Gata3 (Th2), RORγt (Th17), FoxP3 (Treg). The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of WCT and dry-cupping therapy (DCT) on the ratios of Th1/Th2 and Treg /Th17 in healthy individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants were divided randomly into two groups of 41 men in the WCT group and 40 men in the DCT group. Blood was taken, before, one and four weeks after the intervention. RNA was extracted from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells and the expression of T-bet, GATA-3, RORγt, and Foxp3 genes were determined by using SYBR green RT-PCR technique. RESULTS: The results showed that WCT increased the expression ofGATA-3, RORγt, and Foxp3 transcription factor genes (p=0.009, p=0.001, and p=0.021, respectively). Although in the WCT group, the ratio of Foxp3/RORγt increased (p=0.048), but the ratio of T-bet/GATA-3 (Th1/Th2) decreased (p=0.971). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicated that WCT may regulate the T subsets of lymphocyte and reduce inflammation.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most frequent entrapment neuropathy in humans. Nonsurgical management is still a matter of debate, and conservative treatments include splinting, local steroid injections, ultrasound, and oral steroids. Acupuncture and electroacupuncture therapy for symptomatic CTS may improve symptoms and aid nerve repair as well as improve sensory and motor functions. However, limited evidence based on comprehensive evaluation methods is available regarding the effects of those treatments. OBJECTIVE: The study intended to compare the short-term effects of acupuncture and conventional medical treatment on CTS patients' clinical symptoms and on the results of their electrodiagnostic tests. DESIGN: The research team designed a randomized controlled trial. SETTING: The study took place at the electrodiagnostic clinic of the School of Persian and Complementary Medicine at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (Mashhad, Iran). PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 60 patients at the clinic with the clinical diagnosis of CTS. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups. Patients in the control group received 100 mg of Celebrex as tablets, 2 times daily. Patients in the intervention group received 12 sessions of acupuncture, each for 30 min, for 4 wk. The needle insertion points were fixed for all sessions. In addition, wrist braces were provided to wear at night for 1 mo in both groups. OUTCOME MEASURES: At baseline, postintervention at the end of week 4, and at a 3-mo follow-up at the end of week 16, participants' clinical symptoms-pain, numbness, tingling, weakness/clumsiness, and night awakenings-and the results of their electrodiagnostic studies were evaluated and compared. RESULTS: In total, 49 patients completed the study-24 in the control group and 25 in the intervention group. Compared with the control group, the intervention group's clinical symptoms-pain, numbness, tingling, and muscular weakness-based on the subscales of the global symptoms score questionnaire as well as the overall score on that questionnaire improved significantly (P < .05). Regarding the electrodiagnostic studies, only the distal motor latency showed a significantly greater decrease in the acupuncture group in comparison to controls (P = .001). CONCLUSION: All clinical symptoms and the results of the electrodiagnostic tests improved significantly in the intervention group, and the improvements continued during the 3 mo postintervention. The therapeutic results of acupuncture were mostly similar to and in certain cases better than those of the conventional medical treatment. Therefore, acupuncture can be suggested as a safe and suitable therapeutic method in CTS.
