[A feasibility analysis on individualized acupuncture treatment of irritable bowel syndrome under help of genetic polymorphism technique].

Along with the application of genetic polymorphism techniques to individualized treatment of clinical disorders, the screening of polymorphisms markers of serotonin (5-HT) transporter (SERT) is a hot-spot of researches on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In the present paper, the authors introduce 1) optimized schemes of diagnosis and treatment of IBS on the basis of syndrome-differentiation for acupuncture in combination with Chinese herbal medicines, and application of 5-HT transporter polymorphism, 2) application of genetic polymorphism to researches on IBS, and 3) feasibility of genetic polymorphism techniques for guiding individualized treatment of IBS. Up to now, serotonin transporter length polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR), serotonin transporter intron 2 variable number of tandem repeat (Stin 2 VNTR) and single nucleotide polymorphism rs 25531 in the long allele of the 5-HTTLPR have been identified. On the basis of the treatment of IBS, we need establishing a set of guide lines for the individualized acupuncture treatment. The genotyping methods for genetic polymorphism should be widely used in this research field. 5-HT TLPR/ Stin 2 VNTR/rs 25531 polymorphisms would have a bright future in the field of IBS research and treatment.

[Clinical observation on acupuncture for diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome patients in syndrome of liver-stagnation and spleen-deficiency and its impact on Th1/Th2].

OBJECTIVE: To observe clinical therapeutic effects of acupuncture for pattern of liver-stagnation and spleen-deficiency in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (D-IBS) and its impact on cell factors. METHODS: Forty cases were selected and divided into an acupuncture group (21 cases) in which acupuncture was applied and a medicine group (19 cases) in which oral administration of dicetel and bifidobacterium lactobacillus triple viable capsules were applied. The symptom scores, level of Th1-type cytokine (IFN-gamma, IL-2) and Th2-type cytokine (IL-4, IL-10) and ratio of IFN-gamma to IL-4 were compared in two groups before and after treatment to analyze acupuncture effect. RESULTS: The clinical symptoms were improved after one-week treatment in the acupuncture group (P<0.05), which had faster onset than the medicine group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 90.48% (19/21) in the acupuncture group, which was superior to 78.95% (15/19) in the medicine group (P<0.05). Compared with medicine treatment, imbalanced condition of Th1/Th2 was turning towards the direction of Th2 after acupuncture, indicating a tendency to recover the balance. CONCLUSION: The clinical efficacy of acupuncture for D-IBS has close relationship with effectively improving balance of Th1/Th2 in patients with liver-stagnation and spleen-deficiency.