[Effect of moxibustion on the antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity activity in peripheral blood of patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis].

To investigate the immune regulating effect of moxibustion on the patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, 35 patients were treated by moxibustion and the changes of antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) activity in the peripheral blood of the patients and their relationship with thyroid microsomal antibody (MCA) before and after treatment were observed. It was found that the activity of ADCC and the combining rate of MCA were higher than normal and they were closely related to each other. After treatment, both of them declined remarkably and the relationship between them remained the same. The result indicated that the treatment of Hashimoto's thyroiditis by moxibustion might well be related to its effect of decreasing the activity of ADCC and the titer of anti-thyroid antibodies.