Acupoint Catgut Embedding Significantly Reduces Allergic Rhinitis Symptoms and Modulates Immune Cytokines

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a widespread chronic inflammatory condition marked by nasal itching, sneezing, and congestion, severely impacting patient quality of life. Despite various therapeutic options, including antihistamines like loratadine, treatment efficacy remains suboptimal for many patients, and long-term use can have side effects. There's a clear need for effective, sustained, and well-tolerated interventions. Acupoint catgut embedding, a form of acupuncture, has emerged as a promising complementary therapy, with potential to modulate immune responses and address the underlying Th1/Th2 imbalance often seen in AR.

This randomized controlled trial enrolled 80 patients with allergic rhinitis, dividing them into an observation group and a control group (n=40 each). The observation group received acupoint catgut embedding at bilateral Yingxiang (LI20) and additional acupoints based on syndrome differentiation. This therapy was administered once every 2 weeks, for a total of 2 treatments. The control group received oral loratadine tablets. Both groups underwent treatment for 4 weeks. Researchers assessed total nasal symptom scores (TNSS) and rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ) scores at baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 1-month follow-up. Levels of IgE, IL-4, IFN-γ, IL-12, and IL-13 in nasal lavage fluid were detected via ELISA before and after treatment.

Both groups showed significant improvement, with TNSS and RQLQ scores lower than baseline after 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and at follow-up (P<0.05). However, the acupoint catgut embedding group demonstrated superior outcomes: after 4 weeks of treatment and at follow-up, TNSS and RQLQ scores in the observation group were significantly lower than in the control group (P<0.001). Immune marker analysis revealed significant changes in both groups post-treatment. Levels of IgE, IL-4, and IL-13 in nasal lavage fluid decreased (P<0.001, P<0.05, P<0.01 respectively), while IFN-γ and IL-12 levels increased (P<0.001, P<0.01, P<0.05 respectively).