[Acupoint thread-embedding as adjuvant therapy for bronchial asthma in children and its effect on pulmonary function,...

To observe the efficacy of acupoint thread-embedding combined with fluticasone propionate aerosol for chronic persistent bronchial asthma of lung-spleen qi deficiency and spleen-kidney yang deficiency in children and its effect on pulmonary function and serum levels of IgA and IgE.

A total of 120 children with chronic persistent bronchial asthma were randomly divided into an observation group (60 cases, 9 cases dropped off) and a control group (60 cases, 7 cases dropped off). The control group was treated with fluticasone propionate aerosol (125 μg per inhalation), twice a day; based on the control group treatment, the observation group was treated with acupoint thread-embedding at Dingchuan (EX-B 1), Feishu (BL 13), Zusanli (ST 36) and Danzhong (CV 17), once half a month. Both groups were treated for 3 months. The pulmonary function, serum IgA, IgE levels and TCM symptom score were compared between the two groups before and after treatment, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated.

After treatment, the large airway function (peak expiratory flow [PEF], forced expiratory volume at the first second [FEV1]) and small airway function (maximal expiratory flow at 25% of the forced capacity [MEF25%], maximal expiratory flow at 50% of the forced capacity [MEF50%], maximal expiratory flow at 75% of the forced capacity [MEF75%] and midexpiratory flow 25%-75% [MEF25%-75%]) were higher than those before treatment (P<0.05), and the pulmonary function in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the serum IgA levels in the two groups were higher than those before treatment (P<0.05), and the serum IgE levels and TCM symptom scores were lower than those before treatment (P<0.05); the serum IgA level in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05), and the serum IgE level and TCM symptom score in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 94.1% (48/51) in the observation group, which was higher than 88.7% (47/53) in the control group (P<0.05).

Acupoint thread-embedding combined with fluticasone propionate aerosol could improve the pulmonary function, TCM symptoms and serum IgA and IgE levels in children with chronic persistent bronchial asthma of lung-spleen qi deficiency and spleen-kidney yang deficiency. The curative effect is better than fluticasone propionate aerosol alone.