Research Article: Clinical efficacy analysis of acupuncture combined with anti-tumor necrosis factor treatment for spleen and kidney yang deficiency type ulcerative colitis
Abstract:
This study aims to investigate the clinical effects of acupuncture combined with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors in treating spleen-kidney yang deficiency type ulcerative colitis, with hopes of providing new ideas and methods for UC treatment.
We conducted a retrospective cohort study, collecting clinical data from 90 patients diagnosed with spleen and kidney yang deficiency type UC at our hospital between September 2020 and September 2024. All patients were assessed through TCM syndrome differentiation and confirmed by Western medical diagnosis. Patients were divided into a control group ( n = 48) and a study group ( n = 42) based on the treatment method. The control group received at least one TNF-? inhibitor (IFX, GLM, or ADA), while the study group received acupuncture in addition to the same treatment. Patient data with a follow-up period of at least 6 months were collected, and electronic medical records of all eligible patients were meticulously reviewed. All core efficacy indicators were uniformly assessed at 12 weeks after treatment, and no new major endpoint events occurred after 12 weeks of follow-up. We evaluated colectomy rate, clinical remission, mucosal healing rate (defined as Mayo endoscopic subscore ? 1),and adverse events at 12 weeks post-treatment, and compared the Mayo scores and TCM syndrome scores at baseline (0 weeks), and at 6 and 12 weeks post-treatment.
The results showed that after 12 weeks of treatment, the Mayo scores and TCM syndrome scores at the 6th and 12th weeks in the study group were significantly lower than before treatment ( P < 0.05). The colectomy rate in the study group was significantly lower than that in the control group (7.14% vs. 20.8%, RR = 0.34, 95% CI:0.11–1.05, p = 0.042); the clinical remission rate was also higher in the study group compared to the control group (19.1% vs. 8.3%, RR = 2.30, 95% CI:0.78–6.75, p = 0.038); the mucosal healing rate (defined as Mayo endoscopic subscore ? 1) in the study group was significantly higher than that in the control group (38.1% vs. 20.8%, RR = 1.83, 95% CI:1.02–3.29, p = 0.041). Furthermore, no severe adverse reactions occurred in either group during the treatment period, and the incidence of adverse events showed no significant difference between the two groups (30.9% vs. 29.2%, RR = 1.06, 95% CI:0.57–1.98, p = 0.835).
This study demonstrates that in treating UC with spleen-kidney yang deficiency, acupuncture combined with TNF-? inhibitors can effectively improve patients’ clinical symptoms and mucosal healing rates, while also reducing short-and medium-term colectomy rates without increasing the incidence of adverse events. These findings suggest a potential synergistic benefit, warranting confirmation in large-scale, prospective trials.
Introduction:
This study aims to investigate the clinical effects of acupuncture combined with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors in treating spleen-kidney yang deficiency type ulcerative colitis, with hopes of providing new ideas and methods for UC treatment.
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