Objective

2

To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of acupoint application for Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) with liver-

qi

stagnation.

Methods

2

One hundred and fifty patients of HT with liver-

qi

stagnation were randomly divided into an acupoint application group (75 cases

11 cases were excluded

5 cases dropped out) and a control group (75 cases

12 cases excluded

3 cases dropped out). Based on the health education combined with conventional western medicine treatment

the patients in the acupoint application group were treated with acupoint application

while the patients in the control group were treated with placebo acupoint application. Shenque (CV 8)

bilateral Yongquan (KI 1)

Yeshi

and

ashi

point were selected in both groups

with Yeshi treated once a week and the remaining acupoints treated every other day

for a total of 4 weeks. The serum levels of thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb)

thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb)

free triiodothyronine (FT3)

free thyroxine (FT4)

and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)

as well as the thickness of thyroid left lobe

right lobe

and isthmus

TCM symptom score

hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) score

and MOS 36-item short form health survey (SF-36) score were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. Adverse reactions in both groups were observed.

Results

2

Compared with before treatment

in the acupoint application group

the serum levels of TgAb and TPOAb were reduced after treatment (

P

<

0.05)

and the scores of role physical (RP)

body pain (BP)

vitality (VT)

role emotional (RE)

and mental health (MH) in SF-36 were increased after treatment (

P

<

0.01

P

<

0.001). The thickness of the thyroid isthmus after treatmen

t was smaller than that before treatment (

P

<

0.05)

and the TCM symptom scores and HADS anxiety (HADS-A) scores after treatment were lower than those before treatment (

P

<

0.001

P

<

0.01) in both groups. In the control group

the scores of physical function (PF)

RP

BP

VT

and RE in SF-36 after treatment were higher than those before treatment (

P

<

0.05

P

<

0.01

P

<

0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in serum FT3

FT4

and TSH levels within the groups (

P

>

0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the above indexes between the two groups (

P

>

0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the acupoint application group and the control group was 20.0% (15/75) and 10.7% (8/75) respectively

with skin allergy being the main adverse reaction.

Conclusion

2

Acupoint application could reduce the serum levels of TgAb and TPOAb in patients of HT with liver-

qi

stagnation

alleviate thyroid enlargement

improve TCM symptoms and anxiety

and improve quality of life

with safe and reliable clinical efficacy.