title: [Effect on content of serum inflammatory cytokines of patients with ankylosing spondylitis in early stage treated by long snake moxibustion at Governor Vessel and functional exercise].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the clinical effect and mechanism of long snake moxibustion combined with functional exercise for treatment of ankylosing spondylitis in early stage.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-eight cases of ankylosing spondylitis in early stage were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 39 cases in each group. The observation group was treated with long snake moxibustion from Dazhui (GV 14) to Yaoshu (GV 2) combined with functional exercise; the control group was treated with oral administration of Sulfasalazine. The effects of the two groups were observed, and contents of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were tested before and after treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total effective rate of 89.7% (35/39) in the observation group, was superior to that of 76.9% (30/39) in the control group (P<0.05). The contents of ESR, TNF-alpha, and ICAM-1 showed downtrend after treatment in the both groups (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the observation group decreased more obviously (all P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long snake moxibustion at Governor Vessel combined with functional exercise for treatment of ankylosing spondylitis in early stage, can significantly improve clinical symptoms, decrease the level of serum inflammatory cytokines, and the effect is superior to that of Sulfasalazine oral administration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Central Hospital of Xianning City, Xianning 437100, China. lwg92@163.com
authors.forename: Wan-gui
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Xue-juan
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009071:Moxibustion; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines