OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic effect of drug-separated moxibustion at Shenque (CV 8) on ulcerative colitis (UC) and the influence on autoimmunity level, and study on the mechanism.

METHODSSixty cases were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group, 30 cases in each group. The treatment group were treated with drug-separated moxibustion at Shenque (CV 8) and the control group with oral administration of sulphasalazine and metronidazole tablets. The main symptoms, pathological changes of the intestinal mucosa and the total therapeutic effect in the two groups before and after treatment, and the changes of the content of blood serum immunoglobulin, peripheral blood T-cell subgroup and NK cell were observed.

RESULTSThe markedly effective rate and the total effective rate in the treatment group were 60.0% and 86.7% respectively, much higher than the control group (P<0.05, P<0.01). IgG content in the treatment group after treatment significantly decreased with a significant difference as compared with the control group (P<0.05); there were no significant differences in IgA and IgM before and after the treatment (P>0.05). After treatment, peripheral blood T-cell subgroup and NK cell in the treatment group increased to a certain extent, which was correlated positively to the therapeutic effect.

CONCLUSIONThe drug-separated moxibustion at Shenque (CV 8) is a satisfactory method for treatment of ulcerative colitis, and it exerts therapeutic effect possibly through regulating immunological function of the organism.