title: Effects of the combined therapy of acupuncture with herbal drugs on male immune infertility--a clinical report of 50 cases.
abstract: To study the clinical effects of the combined therapy of acupuncture with herbal drugs on male immune infertility and on antisperm antibody (AsAb), 100 male cases of infertility with positive AsAb were divided randomly into two groups, each consisting of 50 cases. The acupuncture-drug group was treated with acupuncture on Ganshu (BL 18), Shenshu (BL 23), Taichong (LR 3), Taixi (KI 3), Xinshu (BL 15), Geshu (BL 17), Shenmen (HT 7), and Xuehai (SP 10), combined with oral medication of Liuwei Dihuang Wan (Bolus of the Six Drugs Including Rehmanniae). The control group was treated with oral prednisone. The clinical therapeutic effects and the impact on AsAb were observed in the two groups. The results showed that the total effective rate in the acupuncture-drug group was 90%; while that of the control group was 64%, the comparison showing a statistically significant difference (P<0.05). The positive rate of blood serum and/or AsAb in both the two groups decreased in varying degrees, but the negative-turning rate of AsAb in the acupuncture-drug group was more obvious, the comparison showing also a significant difference (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combined therapy of acupuncture with herbal drugs has definite therapeutic effects on male immune infertility, which can regulate AsAb and raise the immunity of the patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Acupuncture, Second Guangdong Provincial Worker's Hospital, Guangzhou 510720, China.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lun
authors.forename: Yuzhuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gong
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C042579:Liuwei Dihuang Decoction