Effects of acupuncture on immunoglobulins in patients with asthma and rheumatoid arthritis

The effects of acupuncture on immunoglobulins in patients with asthma and rheumatoid arthritis were studied. After acupuncture, in 20 patients with asthma, IgG increased (P < 0.01), IgM and IgE decreased (both P < 0.01), while IgA did not change markedly (P > 0.05); in 12 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, after acupuncture IgG, IgA and IgM decreased (P < 0.05, 0.05, and 0.01, respectively), while IgE did not change evidently. The results observed in these 32 patients indicate that acupuncture exerts modulation action on immunoglobulins of the human body, and that patients with asthma and rheumatoid arthritis responded effectively to acupuncture therapy, the latter might be related to the reinforcement of the immunological function by acupuncture.