[Impacts of electroacupuncture combined with ultraviolet therapy on cytokines of herpes zoster at the acute stage in patients]

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) combined with ultraviolet therapy on herpes zoster at the acute stage and the impacts on serum interleukin 2 (IL-2), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interleukin 10 (IL-10) in the patients.
Methods: Thirty-four patients of herpes zoster were randomized into a medicine group and a combined therapy group, 17 cases in each one. In the medicine group, the intravenous drops with acyclovir injection, muscular injection with cobamamide and the topical with acyclovir ointment were applied. Additionally, TDP was radiated locally. In the combined therapy group, on the basis of the treatment as the medicine group, EA and ultraviolet therapy were supplemented. The duration of treatment was 10 days in the two groups. Before and after treatment, blister relief, incrustation time and the visible analogue scale (VAS) were recorded in the two groups. The clinical efficacy was assessed in the two groups and the levels of serum IL-2, IL-6 and IL-10 were determined in the two groups.
Results: In the combined therapy group, the time of blister relief and incrustation was earlier apparently than that in the medicine group (both P<0.05). VAS score after treatment were reduced as compared with that before treatment in the two groups (both P<0.01), and the reducing amplitude in the combined therapy group was larger than that in the medicine group (P<0.01). The total effective rate was 94. 1% (16/17) in the combined therapy group, higher than 76.4% (13/17) in the medicine group (P<0.05). After treatment, IL-2 levels were increased as compared with those before treatment in the two groups (both P<0.05), the levels of IL-6 and IL-10 were reduced obviously as compared with those before treatment in the two groups (all P<0.01). After treatment, the levels of IL-6, IL-10 were reduced much more apparently in the combined therapy group as compared with those in the medicine group (both P<0.05).
Conclusion: EA combined with ultraviolet irradiation more rapidly and effectively relief the symptoms of herpes zoster, significantly relief pain, shorten the duration of sickness, improve the body immunity and reduce nerve injury.