Reduction of serum level of interleukin-2 and pruritus severity after acupuncture at Quchi (LI11) in hemodialysis patients: a placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Objective: To observe the effect of acupuncture at Quchi (LI11) on the serum interleukin-2 (IL-2) level and the severity of uremic pruritus (UP) in hemodialysis patients. Methods: Sixty hemodialysis patients with UP were randomized into an acupuncture group and a control group, with 30 cases in each group. In the acupuncture group, patients were treated with acupuncture at Quchi (LI11) twice a week for six weeks. In the control group, each patient received a placebo treatment (sham acupuncture). Before and after the intervention, the pruritis severity was examined using a 5-D scale, and the serum IL-2 level was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the demographic or clinical factors between the control group and the acupuncture group at baseline. The reduction in pruritus severity in patients was more significant in the acupuncture group (P=0.027). Acupuncture therapy also significantly decreased the serum IL-2 level in the patients (P=0.011). Throughout the acupuncture procedures, the incidence of pain and mild bleeding was 3.6％ and 2.5％, respectively. Conclusion: Six-week acupuncture treatment at Quchi (LI11) can effectively decrease the severity of UP and the serum IL-2 level. Large-scale, long-duration, and multi-center studies are needed to fully understand the role of IL-2 in inflammation and neuroimmune stimulation during acupuncture.

Genetic Polymorphism of CYP2A6 and Its Relationship with Nicotine Metabolism in Male Bataknese Smokers Suffered from Lung Cancer in Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: Cytochrome P450 2A6 (CYP2A6) is known as an enzyme which is responsible for the metabolism of chemical compounds. AIM: This study aimed to analyse the relationship between CYP2A6 gene polymorphism with nicotine metabolism rates and lung cancer incidence among smokers of Batak ethnic group in Indonesia. METHODS: This study was a case-control study involving 140 research subjects through a purposive sampling technique from three hospitals in Medan, Indonesia. An examination of nicotine metabolism rates was conducted for all subjects using the 3HC/cotinine ratio parameter with LC-MS/MS technique. The examination of the CYP2A6 gene was performed with PCR-RFLP. Data were analysed with Conditional Logistic Regression test using Epi Info 7.0 software. RESULTS: The allele frequencies of CYP2A6*1A, CYP2A6*1B, and CYP2A6*4A found were 44.3%, 48.9%, and 6.8%, respectively. The *1B allele showed the highest metabolism rate. It is found that slow metabolizer individuals were 5.49 times more likely to develop lung cancer (P = 0.01, 95%CI 1.2-24.8). CONCLUSION: Among the Bataknese smokers studied, the CYP2A6*1B allele was found to be the most common allele and showed the highest rate of nicotine metabolism. However, the results show the insignificant relationship among CYP2A6 genetic polymorphism, nicotine metabolism, and lung cancer incidence.

The Role of CYP2A6 Genetic Polymorphism in Nicotine Dependence and Tobacco Consumption among Bataknese Male Smokers.

AIM: This research aimed to analyse the relationship between CYP2A6 gene polymorphism with nicotine dependence and its relation to the number of cigarette consumption among Bataknese smokers. METHOD: This study was a cross-sectional study involving 140 research subjects in Medan, Indonesia. RESULTS: Nicotine dependence rates were found to be significantly associated with the number of cigarette consumption expressed in the Brinkman Index. CONCLUSION: The *1A wild-type alleles have a greater risk of high-very high dependence rate compared to the other variants.