P02.78. Treating pediatric asthma with holistic approaches of traditional Chinese medicine

Objective. To observe the effects of empirical prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on inflammatory mediators in pediatric asthma and to explore the underlying molecular mechanism in the treatment of asthma.Methods. A total of 182 children with asthma were randomly placed into either the TCM group (n=97) or the salbutamol and montelukast (SM) group (n=85). Patients in the TCM group were treated with a series of empirical prescriptions of TCM, while those in the SM group received salbutamol and montelukast. Both groups received their respective treatment for 12 weeks. There were 35 patients in TCM group and 34 patients in SM group providing venous blood. Real-time PCR was used to determine the mRNA expression levels of interleukin- (IL-) 10, IL-17, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and transforming growth factorβ1 (TGF-β1) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells before and after treatment. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the levels of IL-10, IL-17, MMP-9, and TGF-β1 in peripheral blood before and after treatment.Results. The mRNA expression of TGF-β1 in the SM group was downregulated (P=0.00) after treatment. No significant differences were found between the TCM group and the SM group after treatment (P>0.05). In the TCM group, the levels of IL-10, IL-17, and MMP-9 significantly decreased after treatment (P=0.01, 0.04, and 0.03, resp.). In the SM group, IL-17, MMP-9, and TGF-β1 levels significantly decreased after treatment (P=0.00, 0.03, and 0.00, resp.). There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding the levels of IL-10, IL-17, TGF-β1, and MMP-9 (P>0.05). The difference of the level of IL-17 was negatively correlated with the change of C-ACT score in TCM group and SM group.Conclusion. TCM has a regulatory effect on the balance of some inflammatory mediators in pediatric asthma.

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TREATING PEDIATRIC ASTHMA WITH HOLISTIC APPROACHES OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

African Journal of Traditional Complementary and Alternative Medicines ◽

10.21010/ajtcam.vi15.1.14 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 142

Author(s):

Shun-Chang Chang ◽

Tsung-Chieh Lee ◽

Chia-Ying Lee ◽

Tsung-Lin Cheng ◽

Mao-Feng Sun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Retrospective Study ◽

Chinese Medicine ◽

Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽

Pediatric Asthma ◽

Admission Rate ◽

Emergency Department Visits ◽

Holistic Treatment ◽

Before And After ◽

Changhua Christian Hospital ◽

Christian Hospital

Background: Asthma is a chronic disease increasingly found in children. To find more economical and efficient alternatives to treat pediatric asthma, the Bureau of National Health Insurance of Taiwan launched the Traditional Chinese Medicine Holistic Treatment Program (TCMHTP). The effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) holistic treatments on pediatric asthma was evaluated based on data collected from the program. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was performed by analyzing a dataset from Changhua Christian Hospital, Taiwan, between January 1st, 2006 and December 31st, 2010. Patients aged between 2 and 15 years, who had been diagnosed with asthma, and had participated in the TCMHTP were recruited, whereas those with other severe diseases were excluded. We analyzed the frequency of emergency department visits (EDV), inpatient admission rate (IAR), and length of hospitalization (LH) of the patients, before and after TCM treatments. Spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) was also conducted. Results: Fifty-eight patients were recruited. The average age of the patients receiving TCM treatments was 5.67±3.03 years. The frequency of EDV decreased from 0.94±0.85 to 0.67±1.19 times annually (p=0.095), the annual IAR decreased from 0.62±0.78 to 0.26±0.67 (p=0.002) and the average LH decreased from 3.32±4.25 to 0.80±1.64 (p=0.000) days per year. Parasympathetically mediated HRV decreased significantly from 60.42±15.33 to 54.89±16.45 nu (p=0.016). Conclusion: The present study revealed that an appropriate period of TCM holistic treatment intervention can not only significantly lower exacerbations and hospitalization frequency but also reduce vagal tone in asthmatic children.

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