With the development of molecular immunology, the study of the role of cytokine interferon in pathogenesis has been increasingly emphasized. Interferon research is currently undergoing a phase of rapid change and is receiving increasing attention in clinical medicine and immunology. We tracked the development of interferon in the field of immunology and clinical medicine, and performed the assay of serum interferon activity level of several diseases and the application of interferon in the clinical treatment of acupuncture correlation therapy, and made good progress.
It is reported as follows.
I. General concept of interferon
Interferon is a very small amount of protein that is naturally produced in the human body to resist viruses, and is an important defense system for the body against viral infections. Interferon in the human serum is parallel to the clinical ability to fight against viruses. It is like an active “positive energy within”.
(a) Using the microcytopathic inhibition method, we were the first in China to find that the overall level of serum interferon activity in patients with asthma in remission was low and significantly lower than that in normal subjects; and it was positively correlated with the duration of the disease.
(b) In cooperation with our sister hospitals, we measured the serum interferon activity levels of several other diseases, which have inspired the treatment and understanding of these diseases from the immunological perspective of interferon.
(i) Serum interferon activity levels were low in tumor patients, and the difference was significant compared to normal subjects.
(ii) High levels of serum interferon activity in patients with hyperthyroidism similar to other autoimmune diseases, with a significant difference compared to normal subjects.
The main biological activities of interferon
1, interferon’s inhibition of viral multiplication activity: interferon has a broad-spectrum antiviral effect, but not interferon to directly inactivate the virus, but to inhibit the replication of the virus, its degree of inhibition of different viruses varies widely.
2, interferon immunomodulatory activity: interferon can increase the activity of NK cells (human natural killer cells), stimulate macrophages to produce cytokines, enhance the human body’s cellular function, kill the virus; can also induce intracellular production of antiviral proteins, inhibit the replication of the virus.
3, interferon has “start” activity, that is, after treating cells with a small amount of interferon, the reactivity to subsequent viral or other inducers induced interferon increased.
Pharmacokinetics of interferon
Interferon has a short half-life when administered intravenously; a relatively long half-life when administered intramuscularly; and a relatively good effect when administered topically (local injection). Acupoint injection of interferon in acupuncture can treat some viral infectious diseases more effectively.
Second, the application of acupuncture in the treatment
1, the comprehensive prevention and treatment of asthma
Combined Chinese and Western medicine treatment related to interferon is used to improve the level of serum interferon activity in patients with asthma in remission, enhance the ability to prevent antiviral, treat asthma and prevent its acute attacks.
(1) Based on the traditional acupressure drug formula, the Chinese herbal medicines Astragalus and Licorice, which can promote or induce the production of interferon in human body, are used. The serum interferon level in the treated patients was significantly higher than that before treatment (p<0.01); and the increase of interferon level was positively correlated with the clinical efficacy.
(2) The first application of exogenous interferon was directly applied to patients with acupuncture point injection treatment. In the remission period of asthma (20 days before the patient’s good season), human leukocyte interferon or genetic recombinant interferon was used, and acupuncture and moxibustion to calm asthma was taken to test the acupuncture point – Ding wheezing point, and acupoint injection was also used to achieve satisfactory clinical efficacy.
Clinical significance
(1): “When positive qi exists within, evil cannot dry up”; “Where evil is present, its qi must be deficient”.
Asthma is a common disease with chronic recurrent attacks, and its pathogenesis is very complex. At present, most of the treatment and research focus on the acute phase, but there is little research on the remission phase. In recent years, the chronic inflammation of airway mucosa including mast cells and eosinophils and a variety of inflammatory cells and inflammatory mediators mediating this process and causing airway hyperresponsiveness has been recognized by scholars at home and abroad. However, the etiology of this inflammation is still unclear, which poses a great difficulty in the prevention and treatment of asthma. With the continuous improvement of virus detection techniques and scientific research, respiratory viral infections are considered to be one of the factors contributing to acute asthma attacks. In a review of the patients treated, 80% of them complained of being susceptible to colds, which caused or exacerbated acute asthma attacks, thus supporting the important role of respiratory viral infections in the development of asthma.
Interferon is an important regulator of cellular function and has a high degree of multiple biological activities and a wide range of antiviral activities. Interferon can indeed prevent acute respiratory viral infections in humans. Especially in recent years, the research progress of Chinese and Western medicine in this area has provided a new way to improve the body’s antiviral ability and reduce or alleviate asthma attacks. From clinical and laboratory data as well as analysis of relevant literature, serum interferon activity levels are low in patients with asthma in remission and are positively correlated with the duration of the disease. This may be related to the fact that viral infection alters the number and function of lymphocytes, which suppresses the interferon-producing cells of the organism; or that the organism produces interferon suppressors in pathological situations. Interferon is a humoral factor necessary for the activation of NK cells. A decrease in interferon blood concentration causes a decrease in NK cell activity, resulting in a prolonged and chronic change in inflammation, which is a possible factor in the formation and development of asthma.
(2) According to the treatment principle of “slowing down is treating the root cause” in Chinese medicine, we try to increase the level of interferon in the patient’s body and enhance the preventive and antiviral ability.
Based on the principle of “dialectical treatment”, we focus on the treatment of asthma patients with herbal medicines that can induce endogenous interferon activity, which can increase the level of interferon activity in patients’ bodies and is positively correlated with clinical efficacy; we also pioneered the use of exogenous interferon to treat asthma patients with acupuncture point injections. The majority of patients had fewer colds and less colds after treatment.
This indicates that increasing serum interferon levels in patients with asthma in remission can directly enhance the body’s antiviral ability, reduce viral damage to the airway mucosal epithelium, and reduce chronic nonspecific inflammation of the airway mucosa, thereby reducing and mitigating acute asthma attacks. This study confirmed the correlation between the changes in serum interferon levels and respiratory viral infections and asthma in patients after treatment from clinical and laboratory data. It affirmed the positive effect of interferon on the prevention and treatment of asthma.
2.Treatment of other viral infectious diseases
① Herpes zoster: take the main point at the nerve root of the affected skin segment and inject interferon at the point. The efficacy is reliable and precise.
② Special type of facial neuritis, Hunt’s syndrome produced by herpes zoster virus invading the geniculate ganglion.
Take the cataract point on the affected side and inject interferon at the point. The efficacy is reliable and definite [8].
(iii) Clinical treatment of viral encephalitis and viral hepatitis using acupoint injection of interferon has been implemented in several cases.
No side effects or adverse effects have occurred with the above treatments.
Interferon is a protein, and its use as a drug is fundamentally different from antibiotics in terms of pharmacokinetics, thus greatly limiting the use of treatment for other viral diseases. The current clinical application of interferon for the treatment of viral diseases, more often than not, is the application of interferon intramuscular injection for the treatment of viral hepatitis, mostly using a large measure, high efficiency, long course of treatment. Although good efficacy can be achieved, but also on the pancreas, thyroid gland more serious side effects. The application of interferon in the clinical treatment of acupuncture has a broad application prospect for the correlative treatment of viral infectious diseases.