Objective: To observe the influence of fire needle stimulation at Sihua acupoints combined with chemotherapy on Th1/Th2 imbalance and performance status in the patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) so as to investigate its immunological mechanism underlying the improvement of lung cancer.
Methods: Sixty eligible NSCLC inpatients were randomly assigned to a control group and a treatment group (n＝30 cases in each one). The control group was treated with paclitaxel combined with cisplatin (TP) or gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GP) of chemotherapy, and the treatment group was treated with fire needle stimulation at Sihua acupoints (i.e. bilateral Geshu [BL17] and Danshu [BL19]) and with chemotherapy simultaneously. The fire needle stimulation was given once daily for successive 7 days. One day before and 14 days after chemotherapy, the patients' blood samples were collected for assaying the concentrations of Th1 related cytokines (IL-2, IFN-γ) and Th2 related cytokines (IL-4, IL-10) with ELISA. The Karnofsky performance status (KPS) score was used to assess the patient's physical conditions before and 14 days after chemotherapy.
Results: Compared with the results before treatment, the levels of IL-2 and IFN-γ concentration increased obviously and the levels of IL-4 and IL-10 concentration as well as KPS score decreased significantly in the treatment group and the control group after treatment (all P<0.01). After treatment, compared with the control group, the levels of IL-2 and IFN-γ concentration in the treatment group increased and the levels of IL-4 and IL-10 concentration decreased (P<0.01); and the decrease amplitude of KPS score in the treatment group was less than that in the control group (P<0.01).
Conclusion: Fire needle stimulation at Sihua acupoints improves the function of Th1 cells, and reduces the function of Th2 cells. As a result, the balance between Th1 and Th2 has been modified and the deterioration degree of the performance status been alleviated in the patients after chemotherapy.
Keywords: Advanced non-small cell lung cancer; Fire needle; Performance status; Sihua acupoints; Th1/Th2 balance.