Electro-acupuncture at Zusanli, Qihai, and Guanyuan Acupoints Regulate Immune Function in Patients With Sepsis

NCT ID: NCT05367986

Last Updated: 2022-05-10

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

78 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2019-07-01

Study Completion Date

2022-01-30

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the biochemical and clinical effects of electro-acupuncture in patients with sepsis.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Patients were randomly divided into an electro-acupuncture (EA) group and a Western medicine group(WM group) using restricted block randomization (1:1 ratio).

Patients in the Western medicine group received conventional treatment with Western medicine. According to the International Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock: 2016, conventional treatment includes antibiotics and other anti-infection measures, fluid management, mechanical ventilation, and nutritional support, but did not include the use of immunosuppressants or immune enhancers including hormones, gamma globulin, and thymosin. Patients in the electro-acupuncture group were treated with Western medicine and electro-acupuncture. Electro-acupuncture was given at the Zusanli (ST36), Guanyuan (CV4), and Qihai (CV6) acupoints, twice a day for 30 minutes, and for 5 days in total.

The indicators of immune dysfunction including the percentage of T lymphocyte subsets, percentage of natural killer (NK) cells, and serum soluble programed cell death protein (sPD-1) level, and clinical effect including APACHE-II and SOFA score, whole blood analysis, levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and C-reactive protein (CRP), were determined before treatment and after treatment for 5 days.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Sepsis Immune Dysfunction

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Western medicine group(WM group)

Patients in the Western medicine group received conventional treatment with Western medicine. According to International Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock: 2016, conventional treatment includes antibiotics and other anti-infection measures, fluid management, mechanical ventilation, and nutritional support, but does not include the use of immunosuppressants or immune enhancers including hormones, gamma globulin, and thymosin.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

electro-acupuncture (EA) group

Patients in the electro-acupuncture group were treated with Western medicine and electro-acupuncture. Electro-acupuncture was given at the Zusanli (ST36), Guanyuan (CV4), and Qihai (CV6) acupoints, twice a day for 30 minutes, and for 5 days in total.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

electro-acupuncture

Intervention Type DEVICE

Electro-acupuncture was given at the Zusanli (ST36), Guanyuan (CV4), and Qihai (CV6) acupoints, twice a day for 30 minutes, and for 5 days in total.

1. Acupoints were selected as follows. (1) Zusanli (ST36) belongs to zuyangming stomach meridian. It is located on the anterolateral part of the lower leg 3 inches (4 horizontal fingers) below the eye of the external knee between the fibula and the tibia, and a horizontal finger (middle finger) width from the front edge of the tibia. (2) Guan yuan (CV4) is located 3 inches below the umbilicus, on the midline of the abdomen. (3) Qihai (CV6) is located 1.5 inches below the umbilicus on the midline.
2. Acupuncture and electro-acupuncture methods were performed as follows. Participants were in the supine position, and needles was inserted in the skin . After the participant has acid, numbness, swelling, pain or other feelings, the electro-acupuncture device was connect to the acupuncture needle, the frequency was set to continuous wave.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

electro-acupuncture

Electro-acupuncture was given at the Zusanli (ST36), Guanyuan (CV4), and Qihai (CV6) acupoints, twice a day for 30 minutes, and for 5 days in total.

1. Acupoints were selected as follows. (1) Zusanli (ST36) belongs to zuyangming stomach meridian. It is located on the anterolateral part of the lower leg 3 inches (4 horizontal fingers) below the eye of the external knee between the fibula and the tibia, and a horizontal finger (middle finger) width from the front edge of the tibia. (2) Guan yuan (CV4) is located 3 inches below the umbilicus, on the midline of the abdomen. (3) Qihai (CV6) is located 1.5 inches below the umbilicus on the midline.
2. Acupuncture and electro-acupuncture methods were performed as follows. Participants were in the supine position, and needles was inserted in the skin . After the participant has acid, numbness, swelling, pain or other feelings, the electro-acupuncture device was connect to the acupuncture needle, the frequency was set to continuous wave.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Diagnosis of sepsis;
* Signed the informed consent form.

Exclusion Criteria

* Pregnancy or psychiatric disorder;
* Immune deficiency or using immunosuppressants or immune enhancers;
* History of malignancy;
* HIV positive;
* Unwilling to participate in the study or cooperate with the treatment. Patients who cannot tolerate electroacupuncture treatment or loss of follow-up for complicating with other diseases during the study would be dropped off.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

85 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Guang Yang

Director

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Guang Yang

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

2nd Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine

Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

China

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Rudd KE, Johnson SC, Agesa KM, Shackelford KA, Tsoi D, Kievlan DR, Colombara DV, Ikuta KS, Kissoon N, Finfer S, Fleischmann-Struzek C, Machado FR, Reinhart KK, Rowan K, Seymour CW, Watson RS, West TE, Marinho F, Hay SI, Lozano R, Lopez AD, Angus DC, Murray CJL, Naghavi M. Global, regional, and national sepsis incidence and mortality, 1990-2017: analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study. Lancet. 2020 Jan 18;395(10219):200-211. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32989-7.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31954465 (View on PubMed)

Hotchkiss RS, Monneret G, Payen D. Sepsis-induced immunosuppression: from cellular dysfunctions to immunotherapy. Nat Rev Immunol. 2013 Dec;13(12):862-74. doi: 10.1038/nri3552. Epub 2013 Nov 15.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24232462 (View on PubMed)

Bosmann M, Ward PA. The inflammatory response in sepsis. Trends Immunol. 2013 Mar;34(3):129-36. doi: 10.1016/j.it.2012.09.004. Epub 2012 Oct 2.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23036432 (View on PubMed)

Rhodes A, Evans LE, Alhazzani W, Levy MM, Antonelli M, Ferrer R, Kumar A, Sevransky JE, Sprung CL, Nunnally ME, Rochwerg B, Rubenfeld GD, Angus DC, Annane D, Beale RJ, Bellinghan GJ, Bernard GR, Chiche JD, Coopersmith C, De Backer DP, French CJ, Fujishima S, Gerlach H, Hidalgo JL, Hollenberg SM, Jones AE, Karnad DR, Kleinpell RM, Koh Y, Lisboa TC, Machado FR, Marini JJ, Marshall JC, Mazuski JE, McIntyre LA, McLean AS, Mehta S, Moreno RP, Myburgh J, Navalesi P, Nishida O, Osborn TM, Perner A, Plunkett CM, Ranieri M, Schorr CA, Seckel MA, Seymour CW, Shieh L, Shukri KA, Simpson SQ, Singer M, Thompson BT, Townsend SR, Van der Poll T, Vincent JL, Wiersinga WJ, Zimmerman JL, Dellinger RP. Surviving Sepsis Campaign: International Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock: 2016. Intensive Care Med. 2017 Mar;43(3):304-377. doi: 10.1007/s00134-017-4683-6. Epub 2017 Jan 18.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28101605 (View on PubMed)

Yang G, Hu RY, Deng AJ, Huang Y, Li J. Effects of Electro-Acupuncture at Zusanli, Guanyuan for Sepsis Patients and Its Mechanism through Immune Regulation. Chin J Integr Med. 2016 Mar;22(3):219-24. doi: 10.1007/s11655-016-2462-9. Epub 2016 Jan 29.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26825083 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

EAIm-sepsis

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.