title: Effect of electro-acupuncture on tumor necrosis factor-α and vascular endothelial growth factor in peripheral blood and joint synovia of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) on tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in peripheral blood and joint synovia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to verify the clinical efficacy of EA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adopting randomized controlled principle, the 63 RA patients enrolled were assigned to two groups, the 32 patients in the EA group were treated with EA, and the 31 patients in the simple needling (SN) group treated with simple needling. According to the integral-local combining method, the acupoints were selected mainly from yang-meridian and local Ashi points (pain-point). EA or SN was applied every other day, 10 times as a course, and each patient received a total of 3 courses of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Blood and synovial levels of TNF-α and VEGF were reduced significantly after treatment in both groups. The lowering (absolute value and difference value) of TNF-α as well as the absolute value of VEGF, either in blood or in synovia, were similar in the two groups (P>0.05); but the lowering of VEGF after treatment was more significant in the EA group than that in the SN group (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EA could effectively lower the contents of TNF-α and VEGF in peripheral blood and joint synovia to improve the internal environment for genesis and development of RA, so as to enhance the clinical therapeutic effectiveness.
authors: Suzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province 215003, China. oybasi@163.com
authors: Ba-Si
authors: BS
authors: Ouyang
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Gao
authors: Jian-Li
authors: JL
authors: Che
authors: Yin
authors: Y
authors: Zhang
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Li
authors: Hai-Zhou
authors: HZ
authors: Yang
authors: Tian-Yan
authors: TY
authors: Hu
authors: Man
authors: M
authors: Yang
authors: Yuan-Jian
authors: YJ
authors: Wu
authors: Ling-Ling
authors: LL
authors: Ji
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy*; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007596:Joints / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A