Effect of Acupuncture on Cytokine Levels in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Cytokines have been found to play a role in the disease activity of multiple sclerosis (MS). Previous studies indicate that acupuncture can affect cytokine levels in persons with other inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of acupuncture on cytokine levels and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in persons with MS. A single-blind, randomized controlled trial was performed. Participants (n = 66) were randomized into three groups (real acupuncture, sham acupuncture, and reference). Participants in the real acupuncture and sham groups received six treatments during a period of 4 weeks. The serum levels of 11 pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IFNγ, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12p70, IL-13, TNFα, IL-10, IL-4, IL-2, and IL-17A) were assessed at baseline, after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment, and 4 weeks after the final treatment. Changes in HRQoL were assessed using the Functional Assessment of Multiple Sclerosis questionnaire. No statistically significant differences in plasma levels between the three groups were seen for either of the cytokines, nor were there any differences between the groups for HRQoL. In this study, the authors could not demonstrate that a 4-week acupuncture treatment had a measurable effect on the plasma levels of seven selected cytokines or on HRQoL among people with MS. The trial was registered with the ISRCTN registry as ISRCTN34352011.