Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of bamboo-based medicinal moxibustion for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and to preliminarily explore its action mechanism.
Methods: Sixty-four patients with CFS were randomly divided into a moxibustion group (32 cases, 1 case dropped off, 1 case excluded) and an acupuncture group (32 cases, 2 cases dropped off). The patients in the moxibustion group were treated with bamboo-based medicinal moxibustion, while the patients in the acupuncture group were treated with routine acupuncture. Both groups were treated once a day, 6 days as a course of treatment with 1 day interval, for a total of 2 courses of treatment. Before treatment, 1 and 2 courses into treatment and in the follow-up of 14 days after treatment, the fatigue scale-14 (FS-14) and somatic and psychological health report (SPHERE) scores were observed in the two groups. Before and after treatment, the contents of CD+3, CD+4, CD+8 of peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets were measured and CD+4/CD+8 ratio was calculated; the clinical efficacy of the two groups was compared.
Results: Compared before treatment, the FS-14 and SPHERE scores in the two groups were decreased 1 and 2 courses into treatment and in the follow-up (P<0.01), and the FS-14 and SPHERE scores in the moxibustion group were lower than those in the acupuncture group (P<0.01, P<0.05). Compared before treatment, the contents of CD+3, CD+4 and CD+4/CD+8 ratio in the moxibustion group were increased after treatment (P<0.01). There was no significant difference of CD+3, CD+4, CD+8 and CD+4/CD+8 ratio between before and after treatment in the acupuncture group (P>0.05). After treatment, the contents of CD+3 and CD+4 in the moxibustion group were higher than those in the acupuncture group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 93.3% (28/30) in the moxibustion group, which was higher than 73.3% (22/30) in the acupuncture group (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Bamboo-based medicinal moxibustion could improve the physical and mental fatigue symptoms and psychological status in patients with CFS. Its effect may be related to regulating the contents of CD+3, CD+4 of peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets and CD+4/CD+8 ratio.
目的：观察竹技药灸治疗慢性疲劳综合征（CFS）的临床疗效，并初步探讨其作用效应。方法：将64例CFS患者随机分为竹技药灸组（32例，脱落1例、剔除1例）和针刺组（32例，脱落2例）。竹技药灸组予竹技药灸治疗，针刺组予常规针刺治疗。两组均每日治疗1次，持续6 d为一疗程，疗程之间间隔1 d，共治疗2个疗程。观察两组患者治疗前，治疗1、2个疗程及治疗后14 d随访时疲劳量表-14（FS-14）、躯体与心理健康报告量表（SPHERE）评分，检测两组患者治疗前后外周血T淋巴细胞亚群CD+3、CD+4、CD+8含量，计算CD+4/CD+8比值，并比较两组临床疗效。结果：两组患者治疗1、2个疗程及随访时FS-14、SPHERE评分均较治疗前降低（P<0.01），且竹技药灸组低于针刺组（P<0.01，P<0.05）。竹技药灸组治疗后CD+3、CD+4含量及CD+4/CD+8比值较治疗前升高（P<0.01），针刺组CD+3、CD+4含量及CD+4/CD+8比值治疗前后比较差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）；竹技药灸组CD+3、CD+4含量高于针刺组（P<0.05）。竹技药灸组总有效率为93.3%（28/30），高于针刺组的73.3%（22/30，P<0.05）。结论：竹技药灸可改善CFS患者躯体、脑力疲劳症状及心理状态，可能与调节外周血T淋巴细胞亚群CD+3、CD+4含量及CD+4/CD+8比值有关。.
Keywords: T lymphocyte subsets; acupuncture; bamboo-based medicinal moxibustion; chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS); randomized controlled trial (RCT).