Document Type : Original Research Article
Authors
1
Acupuncture Department, Iranian and Complementary Medicine Faculty, Mashhad University of Medical Science, Mashhad, Iran
2
Department of Acupuncture, School of Persian and Complementary Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
3
Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
4
Pharmacological Research Center of Medicinal Plants, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
5
Clinical Research Development Unit, Imam Reza Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
6
Immunology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
7
Rheumatic Disease Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Abstract
Objective: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is recognized as a degenerative disease. Acupuncture has long been employed for KOA via various techniques. The present study investigated the potential effects of EA and MA on clinical parameters and serum cytokines levels in KOA patients through a three-arm, double-masked, randomized, and sham-controlled clinical trial (IRCT20170305032893N3).
Materials and Methods: Forty-five patients diagnosed with KOA were subjected to manual acupuncture (MA), electroacupuncture (EA), or a sham control group (SA) over eight weeks. Pain intensity, quality of life (QoL), stiffness and physical activity were assessed via the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), the SF-12, and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) parameters, respectively. Furthermore, serum levels of interleukin (IL)-4, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were quantified using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Results: The findings revealed significant improvements in pain, QoL, stiffness, and physical activity parameters with both MA and EA interventions. These benefits were sustained through the 12 and 16-week follow-up assessments compared to the SA group. There were no notable changes in cytokine levels between intervention groups except for the TGF-β as anti-inflammatory cytokine which showed a significant increase following EA treatment (p=0.02).
Conclusion: Both EA and MA methods showed therapeutic effectiveness as a safe complementary method in KOA patients in terms of clinical indexes compared to controls. Ameliorating KOA following the EA method might be due to effects of TGF-β.
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