Effect Of Acupoint Injection And Moxibustion Of Immunomodulation In Patients With Pain Caused By Malignant Tumors

Objective: In order to investigate the role of acupuncture and moxibustion in the modulation of cellular immune function, the change of interleukin 2,interleukin 2 receptor and ?-endorphine in quality and quantity in the peripheral blood of patients suffering from cancer pain before and after treatment were detected. The discussion on acupuncture and moxibustion regulating the nerve- immune modulation network was initiated. The analgesia time and the life qualities of patients were observed so as to illustrate there was an intrinsic correlation between the improvement of clinical symptoms and the positive regulation of cellular immune status through the comparison of therapeutic effects between acupoint injection of morphine combining with moxibustion and subcutaneous injection of morphine in treating patients with moderate or severe cancer pain. In the end , it is expected that the results of study could accommodate objective evidences for the clinical therapy of cancer pain.Methods: Patients suffering from moderate or severe cancer pain were randomly divided into two groups including the group of acupuncture and moxibustion therapy (acu-moxi group) and the group of convention therapy (convention group). The serum level of interleukin-2 of patients and healthy control persons was determined respectively and compared between one group and another one by double antigen sandwich ELISA. The mRNA expression of interleukin-2 receptor of patients was investigated in quantitive analysis after treatment by reverse transcripase-poly-merase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and statistics the number of positive expression in different group. The plasma level of -endorphine was measured by RIA. The analgesia time and the life qualities of patients were determined according to clinical observation and the evaluation standard of life quality.Results: The serum level of interleukin-2 and was higher in acu-moxi group than that in convention group after treatment, but lower than the normal level; Both the positive ratio of mRNA expression of interleukin-2 receptor and the plasma level of -EP were also higher in acu-moxi group than that in convention group after treatment. As far as the analgesia time and the life qualities of patients were concerned, the acu-moxi group was superior to the convention group after treatment.Conclusion: Acupuncture and moxibustion therapy is of great value for enhancing T lymphocyte immune function of patients with malignant tumors and therefore capable of relieving pain both directly and indirectly. It is possible that P -endorphine may relieve pain and remain or even decrease the usage dose of morphine when competing with morphine to conjugate morphine receptor. The improvement of the analgesia time and the life qualities of patients is probably related with the positive adjustment of cellular immunity. The therapy of acupoint injection of morphine with moxibustion is superior to that of subcutaneous injection of morphine in treating patients suffering from moderate or severe cancer pain.