Effects of acupuncture on the ratio of CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells and expression of transcription factor Foxp3 in patients with septic shock

Abstract

Objective To study the effect of acupuncture on the ratio of CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells and expression of transcription factor Foxp3 in patients with septic shock. Methods Sixty-four patients with septic shock were randomly divided into two groups by using the random number table method.Acupuncture group(34 cases) was treated with both western medicine and acupuncture, and control group(30 cases) was treated with western medicine.The period of treatment was 7 days.After treatment, the ratio of CD4+ CD25+ T cells in peripheral blood was determined by flow cytometry.And the expression of Foxp3 mRNA in peripheral blood was detected by quantitative real time PCR. Results After treating for 7 days, the ratios of CD4+ CD25+ Treg cells and CD4+ CD25+ Foxp3+ Treg cells were (20.23±1.12)% and (78.70±7.65)% respectively in peripheral blood of the control group, which in the acupuncture groupwere (17.32±0.78)% and (68.53±8.01)%, the differences were statistically significant between the two groups(t=2.587, 2.749, all P<0.05). The levels of Foxp3 mRNA in peripheral blood were (1.21±0.02) and (1.02±0.04) in the control group and acupuncture group, the difference was statistically significant(t=2.119, P<0.05). Conclusion Acupuncture can adjust immune status of patients with septic shock by reducing the ratio of CD4+ CD25+ Treg cells and down-regulating the expression of Foxp3 mRNA. Key words: Shock, Septic; T-Lymphocytes; Foxp3; Acupuncture therapy