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. 2020 Jun 29:2020:8274021.
doi: 10.1155/2020/8274021. eCollection 2020.

Efficacy of Acupuncture and Moxibustion as a Subsequent Treatment after Second-Line Chemotherapy in Advanced Gastric Cancer

Yong-Jie Zhang  1 , Qi Min  1 , Ying Huang  1 , Huai-Dong Liu  1 , Zi-Yuan Zhu  1 , Fu-Jin Jiang  1 , Hai-Qing Hua  2
Affiliations

Efficacy of Acupuncture and Moxibustion as a Subsequent Treatment after Second-Line Chemotherapy in Advanced Gastric Cancer

Yong-Jie Zhang et al. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. .

Abstract

Objective: To explore whether acupuncture and moxibustion can prevent disease progression of advanced gastric cancer patients completing second-line chemotherapy and, if so, the related mechanism.

Method: Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were main outcome measures. The real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression of genes including T-bet, IFN-γ, GATA3, and IL-4 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). IL-4, IL-6, Ca199, CRP, and IFN-γ in plasma levels were checked.

Results: 170 patients were randomly assigned in a 3 : 2 ratio to receive either acupuncture and moxibustion or sham acupuncture until progression. 135 patients were included in the primary analysis. Both PFS and OS in treatment group were proven to be better than control group. Acupuncture and moxibustion promoted typical Th1 cells drifting, as confirmed by increased T-bet/IFN-γ and decreased GATA3/IL-4 in mRNA levels from PBMCs, as well as upregulating IFN-γ and downregulating IL-4 in plasma levels. IL-6, Ca199, and CRP in plasma levels were also reduced by acupuncture and moxibustion.

Conclusions: Acupuncture and moxibustion can prolong PFS and OS of advanced gastric cancer patients completing second-line chemotherapy by reversing Th1/Th2 shift and attenuating inflammatory responses.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors have no conflicts of interest with respect to the manuscript.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Low chart of participants.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Both progression-free survival (PFS) (a) and overall survival (OS) (b) in treatment group were significantly better than control group.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on mRNA expression of transcription factors and cytokines in PBMC. (a) The mRNA expression of T-bet and IFN-γ increased obviously at week 4 (grey) compared with baseline (black). (b) The mRNA expression of GATA3 and IL-4 decreased remarkably at week 4 (grey) compared with that at baseline (black). ∗P < 0.01 (Student's t-test).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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