Effects of acupuncture on oral markers of emotional distress in HIV-infected African Americans

Individuals infected with the HIV virus often experience elevated emotional stress levels caused by both the disease itself and the social stigma associated with the disease. Elevated stress levels result in immunosuppression that increases the risk of opportunistic oral infections and/or disease progression. Acupuncture can be used for reduction of emotional distress and for enhanced wellness. Purpose: To determine the effects of real and placebo acupuncture on oral markers of distress and oral immunity in HIV-infected African Americans. Methods: Twenty-nine HIV infected African Americans were recruited for this study and randomized into either a real (n = 14) or placebo (n = 15) acupuncture group. Each subject underwent five weeks of treatment in a group setting for twenty minutes twice a week. Data was collected at pre and post treatment consisting of salivary cortisol (CORT) a marker for emotional distress, and perceived stress scale (PSS). Data was analyzed using a two way repeated measures ANOVA. Results: At 5 weeks there was a significant increase (p = 0.017) in CORT in the placebo group but no change in the real group. In addition, both groups showed a significant decrease in PSS at 5 weeks (p < 0.001). Conclusion: These data show that 5 weeks of real acupuncture results in stable CORT levels compared to placebo. In addition, the reduced stress level observed from participating in the study does not allow us to distinguish the difference of the potential effects of real acupuncture.

This is supported by the NIH and the Arnold School of Public Health.