Effect of moxibustion on clinical symptoms, peripheral inflammatory indexes and T lymphocyte subsets in COVID-19 patients / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the therapeutic effect and the mechanism of the adjuvant treatment with moxibustion on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).@*METHODS@#A total of 95 patients with COVID-19 were randomly divided into a moxibustion group (45 cases) and a basic treatment group (50 cases). The routine treatment of western medicine was applied in the patients of both groups. In the moxibustion group, on the base of the treatment of western medicine, moxibustion was applied to Dazhui (GV 14), Feishu (BL 13), Qihai (CV 6) and Zusanli (ST 36), once daily and consecutively for 14 days. At the end of treatment courses, clinical symptom scores for cough, asthmatic breathing, chest oppression and short breath, as well as their remission rates were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. Before and after treatment, the white blood cell (WBC) count, the levels of c-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and the absolute number of T lymphocyte subsets, i.e. , and of the peripheral blood were compared in the patients between the two groups. The principal component analysis was adopted to analyze the common data extracted from the above 10 clinical indexes variables and comprehensively evaluate the differences in the therapeutic effect of two regimens.@*RESULTS@#The clinical symptom scores were all decreased after treatment in both of the moxibustion group and the basic treatment group as compared with those before treatment (@*CONCLUSION@#On the base of the routine treatment with western medicine, moxibustion therapy supplemented relieves the clinical symptoms, reduces the levels of inflammatory indexes, i.e. IL-6 and CRP as well as improves the absolute number of peripheral T lymphocyte subsets. The clinical therapeutic effect of such regimen with moxibustion supplemented is significantly better than the simple routine treatment of western medicine.

Índice de inmunidad-inflamación sistémica en sepsis / Systemic immune inflammatory index in sepsis

Resumen ANTECEDENTES: se han estudiado índices de pronóstico de inflamación basados en células periféricas como predictores de disfunción endotelial, riesgo cardiovascular y mortalidad. En 2014 se desarrolló el índice de inmunidad-inflamación sistémica (IIS) que se ha propuesto como factor de pronóstico y de seguimiento en cáncer. OBJETIVO: determinar si existe modificación del índice de inmunidad-inflamación sistémica (IIS) en pacientes con sepsis. MATERIAL Y MÉTODO: estudio retrospectivo que incluyó aleatoriamente a pacientes hospitalizados de 2013 a 2015. Se verificó la homogeneidad de poblaciones demostrando que no existía diferencia estadística entre la edad y comorbilidades (distribución Kolmogorov-Smirnov), frecuencia de comorbilidades (χ2). Se calculó el IIS con la citometría hemática de ingreso. Se compararon las medias del IIS de pacientes con sepsis y sin sepsis (Wilcoxon) y se determinó si había correlación entre el IIS y sepsis (coeficiente de correlación biserial puntual). RESULTADOS: se incluyeron 242 pacientes (128 con sepsis, edad promedio de 70.1 años y 114 sin sepsis, edad promedio de 69.7 años). La media del índice de inmunidad-inflamación sistémica (IIS) en pacientes con sepsis fue 4444.06x109, en pacientes sin sepsis fue de 3013.94x109. Se demostró que existe correlación estadísticamente significativa entre el IIS y sepsis (rbp= 0.150253625, p=0.05), se demostró que la media del IIS fue significativamente más elevada en pacientes con sepsis (W=5,097, p=0.00001). CONCLUSIONES: el índice de inmunidad-inflamación sistémica (IIS), un índice innovador que ha mostrado mejor efectividad para describir el desequilibrio de inmunidad e inflamación, se propone como una herramienta que puede ser útil en pacientes con sepsis; sin embargo, se requieren estudios futuros para comprobar su potencial pronóstico y de seguimiento.

Abstract BACKGROUND: In the past several indices based on peripheral blood cells have been studied to prove their utility as prognostic factors in endothelial dysfunction, cardiovascular risk and mortality. In 2014 the systemic immune inflammatory index (SII) was developed and it has been proposed as a prognostic factor in the follow-up of patients with cancer. OBJECTIVE: To determine if there is a modification of the SII in patients with sepsis. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A retrospective study included randomized patients hospitalized from 2013 to 2015; homogeneity of populations was verified by demonstrating that there was no statistical difference between age and comorbidities (Kolmogorov-Smirnov distribution), frequency of comorbidities (χ2). IIS was calculated with the blood cell count on hospital admission. IIS was compared in sepsis and without sepsis patients (Wilcoxon), and we determined whether there was correlation between IIS and sepsis (correlation coefficient biserial point). RESULTS: There were included 242 patients (128 with sepsis, mean age 70.1 years and 114 without sepsis, mean age 69.7 years). The mean IIS in patients with sepsis was 4444.06x109 and without sepsis 301 3.94x109. We showed that there was statistically significant cor relation between IIS and sepsis (rbp=0.150253625, p=0.05), we also detailed that the mean IIS was significantly higher in patients with sepsis (W=5,097, p=0.00001). CONCLUSIONS: The IIS, an innovative index that has shown accuracy describing the imbalance of immunity and inflammation, is proposed as a tool that can be useful in patients with sepsis; however, further studies are required to prove its potential in prognosis and monitoring.