Fire needling stripping after local anesthesia for verruca vulgaris: a multi-center randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the clinical therapeutic effect of fire needling stripping after local anesthesia, simple fire needling and liquid nitrogen cryotherapy on verruca vulgaris.@*METHODS@#A total of 900 patients with verruca vulgaris were randomized into a fire needling stripping group (300 cases, 2 cases dropped off), a fire needling group (300 cases, 4 cases dropped off) and a liquid nitrogen cryotherapy group (300 cases, 5 cases dropped off). After local anesthesia of compound lidocaine cream, fire needling therapy was adopted, and the necrotic tissue of verruca was stripped in the fire needling stripping group. Simple fire needling therapy was adopted in the fire needling group, without local anesthesia and stripping. Liquid nitrogen cryotherapy was adopted in the liquid nitrogen cryotherapy group. The treatment was given once a week, and totally 3 weeks were required in the 3 groups. The skin lesion scores of number, area, thickness, color, pruritus, isomorphism and the level of T lymphocyte (CD@*RESULTS@#Compared before treatment, the skin lesion scores were decreased (@*CONCLUSION@#Fire needling stripping after local anesthesia can effectively treat the verruca vulgaris, improve the skin lesion and immunity, its therapeutic effect is superior to simple fire needling and liquid nitrogen cryotherapy.

Effect of combination of acupuncture and psychological intervention on attention, response inhibition and cerebral blood flow in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the clinical curative effect on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and explore the relevant mechanism of acupuncture in treatment.@*METHODS@#A total of 100 ADHD children were randomized into an observation group (50 cases, 2 cases dropped off) and a control group (50 cases, 1 case dropped off). In the control group, the routine psychological intervention was used. In the observation group, on the base of the treatment as the control group, acupuncture was applied to Taichong (LR 3), Neiguan (PC 6), Shenmen (HT 7), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), etc., once daily, for 3 months. The Cambridge neuropsychological tests automated battery (CANTAB) was adopted to evaluate attention and response inhibition in two groups before and after treatment. Digi-Lite color transcranial Doppler was used to measure cerebral arterial blood velocity. The therapeutic effect was compared between the two groups.@*RESULTS@#Regarding evaluation of attention, the mean delay time in the observation group after treatment was shorter than that before treatment and that in the control group separately (@*CONCLUSION@#Acupuncture combined with psychological intervention may improve attention and response inhibition in ADHD children, which is possibly related to the regulation of cerebral blood flow.

Clinical Efficacy of Modified Sanxue Gegentang Combined with Nerve Block on Postherpetic Neuralgia Due to Blood Stasis Syndrome / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To observe the efficacy of modified Sanxue Gegentang combined with nerve block in treating postherpetic neuralgia due to blood stasis syndrome， and explore its possible mechanism. Method:The 120 patients were randomly divided into control group and observation group， with 60 cases in each group. The patients in control group received Dahuang Zhechong tablet + nerve block， and the patients in observation group received modified Sanxue Gegentang + nerve block for 4 weeks. The clinical symptoms （simplified McGill pain scale， overall impression change scale， traditional Chinese medicine symptoms）， serum medium pain ［endothelin-1 （ET-1）， prostaglandin E2 （PGE2）， substance P （SP）， cydooxygenase-2 （COX-2）］， blood viscosity index ［high blood viscosity （HBV）， medium blood viscosity （MBV）， low blood viscosity （LBV）， and plasma viscosity （PV）］ were observed before and after treatment. The clinical efficacy， recurrence rate in 12 months follow-up， and the incidence of adverse reactions were compared between two groups. Result:The 5 cases in control group and 1 case in the observation group were lost during the study. The total effective rate in observation group was 96.6%（57/59）， higher than 74.5% （41/55） in control group （χ2=5.729， P<0.05）. As compared with control group after treatment， the McGill pain scale， overall impression change rating scale， main TCM symptom scores， pain medium （ET-1， PGE2， SP， COX-2）， and blood viscosity （HBV， MBV， LBV， PV） were significantly lower in observation group （P<0.05）. In the follow-up for 12 months， the recurrence rate was 7.0% （4/57） in observation group， lower than 43.9% （18/41） in control group （χ2=7.294， P<0.05）. During the study period， the incidence of adverse reactions was 8.5% （5/59） in observation group and 7.3% （4/55） in control group， without significant difference between two groups. Conclusion:Modified Sanxue Gegentang combined with nerve block can significantly improve the clinical symptoms of patients with postherpetic neuralgia due to blood stasis syndrome， showing a low recurrence rate incidence of adverse reactions.

Effect of maternal immune level at different pregnancy stages on cow's milk protein allergy in infants / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the association between maternal Th1/Th2 immune level at different pregnancy stages and cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) in infants.@*METHODS@#The healthy women with a singleton pregnancy, as well as their offspring, who attended Yidu Central Hospital of Weifang and Qingzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital from July 2016 to December 2018 were enrolled. The maternal levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) at the second and third trimesters of pregnancy were measured. A CMPA questionnaire survey was conducted within one year after birth. Food avoidance and cow's milk oral challenge tests were performed in infants suspected of CMPA. The 48 infants who met the diagnostic criteria for CMPA were included in the observation group, and the remaining 977 normal infants were included in the control group. A univariate analysis was performed on the infants with CMPA. A Poisson regression analysis was used to determine the association between maternal Th1/Th2 immune factors at different pregnancy stages and CMPA.@*RESULTS@#The detection rate of CMPA was 4.68%. The clinical manifestations included the symptoms of the digestive system, skin, and respiratory system and other symptoms. The univariate analysis showed that compared with the control group, the observation group had significantly higher incidence rates of maternal food allergy and maternal history of allergic diseases (P<0.05) and a significantly lower breastfeeding rate (P<0.05). The observation group had significantly lower maternal levels of IL-2 (second and third trimesters) and IFN-γ (third trimester) than the control group (P<0.05). Maternal low IFN-γ at the third trimester and maternal low IL-2 at the second and third trimesters were significantly associated with CMPA in infants (P<0.05). After correction of the factors of breastfeeding, maternal food allergy, and maternal history of allergic diseases, it was found that maternal low IL-2 and IFN-γ at the third trimester were still significantly associated with CMPA in infants (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The maternal decrease in Th1 level at the third trimester of pregnancy may lead to the change in fetal immunity and thus increase the risk of CMPA in offspring.

Art therapy for anxiety, depression, and fatigue in females with breast cancer: A systematic review.

This systematic review employed a meta-analysis to examine the effectiveness of art therapy for treating anxiety, depression, and fatigue in female patients with breast cancer, the most prevalent cancer and the most common cause of cancer-related mortality among women worldwide. The review included nine original studies and analyzed data from a total of 754 patients. Data extraction and quality assessment were conducted by two independent reviewers. In total, 1,466 articles were retrieved. We excluded studies in which the participant, interventions, and study design did not satisfy the inclusion criteria, leaving nine articles for analysis, The Cochrane risk of bias assessment tools were used for quality evaluation. The analysis revealed a significant difference in treatment outcomes between patients who received art therapy and those who did not (SMD = -0.48, 95%CI [-0.75, -0.21, p = 0.0005]). The review provides initial evidence to suggest that art therapy benefits female breast cancer patients with respect to the treatment of anxiety, depression, and fatigue. However, additional and better-quality studies must be conducted, particularly with larger sample sizes, greater specificity of the design of trials and interventions, and a longer follow-up duration.

A Case Report of Locked-in Syndrome Due to Bilateral Vertebral Artery Dissection After Cervical Spine Manipulation Treated by Arterial Embolectomy.

Cervical spine manipulation (CSM) is a commonly spinal manipulative therapies for the relief of cervical spine-related conditions worldwide, but its use remains controversial. CSM may carry the potential for serious neurovascular complications, primarily due to vertebral artery dissection (VAD) and subsequent vertebrobasilar stroke. Here, we reported a rare case of locked-in syndrome (LIS) due to bilaterial VAD after CSM treated by arterial embolectomy.A 36-year-old right-handed man was admitted to our hospital with numbness and weakness of limbs after treating with CSM for neck for half an hour. Gradually, although the patient remained conscious, he could not speak but could communicate with the surrounding by blinking or moving his eyes, and turned to complete quadriplegia, complete facial and bulbar palsy, dyspnea at 4 hours after admission. He was diagnosed with LIS. Then, the patient was received cervical and brain computed tomography angiography that showed bilateral VAD. Aortocranial digital subtraction angiography showed vertebrobasilar thrombosis, blocking left vertebral artery, and stenosis of right vertebral artery. The patient was treated by using emergency arterial embolectomy and followed by antiplatelet therapy and supportive therapy in the intensive care unit and a general ward. Twenty-seven days later, the patient's physical function gradually improved and discharged but still left neurological deficit with muscle strength grade 3/5 and hyperreflexia of limbs.Our findings suggested that CSM might have potential severe side-effect like LIS due to bilaterial VAD, and arterial embolectomy is an important treatment choice. The practitioner must be aware of this complication and should give the patients informed consent to CSM, although not all stroke cases temporally related to SCM have pre-existing craniocervical artery dissection.

Physical therapy in grassroot military medical units of pla: Current situation / 第二军医大学学报

Objective To know about the current situation and the existing problems concerning physical therapy in grassroot military medical units of PLA, so as to provide evidence for standard physical therapy in grassroot military medical units. Methods A total of 235 military physicians from the medical teams of division, brigade, and regiment of PLA were randomly surveyed on physical therapy. The collected data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2007. Results A total of 227 (96.59%) questionnaires were valid for analysis. Physical therapy was mainly used for military training-related injuries, including acute soft tissue injury (86.56%), lumbar muscle strain (85.03%), lumbar disc herniation (65.30%), frozen shoulder (55.17%), cervical spondylosis (47.76%), and osteoarthritis (37.28%). It was found that 87.67%, 67.84%, and 56.83% of the grassroot medical units were equipped with apparatuses for light therapy, traction, and intermediate-frequency therapy, respectively. As for safety protection, 47.14% of grassroot military medical teams had no measures for radiation protection, disinfection or quarantine. Conclusion Physical therapy is of great importance and has been popularized in grassroot military medical units of PLA. However, the advantages of physical therapy have not yet been fully utilized. The indictors of physical therapy are not accurately used and the related security protection is still not satisfactory. To make improvement, it needs to set up related regulations for both peacetime and wartime, to upgrade the skills of physicians, and improve the related equipments.

Alpha-linolenic acid intake prevents endothelial dysfunction in high-fat diet-fed streptozotocin rats and underlying mechanisms.

BACKGROUND: Endothelial dysfunction is an important factor in the pathogenesis of diabetes related vascular complications, and acute alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) intake can increase flow-mediated dilation of the diabetic artery at 4 h postprandially. However, whether chronic ALA supplementation may prevent endothelial dysfunction in the process of diabetes and underlying mechanisms remains largely unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The high-fat diet-fed streptozotocin (HFD-STZ) rats provided an animal model for T2DM. Age-matched normal and HFD-STZ rats randomly received normal diet or ALA (500 mg/kg per day). After 5 weeks of feeding, endothelial function was determined. RESULTS: Diabetes caused significant endothelial dysfunction (maximal vasorelaxation responses to ACh) in aortic segments, and ALA intake alleviated endothelial dysfunction. Superoxide production and peroxynitrite (ONOO-) formation were reduced with ALA supplement in diabetic vascular segments. Interestingly, ALA intake enhanced eNOS but inhibited iNOS activity in diabetic vessels. Moreover, ALA intake significantly increased eNOS phosphorylation. On the other hand, gp91phox and iNOS overexpression were reduced moderately with ALA intake in diabetic vessels. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that ALA prevents diabetes-induced endothelial dysfunction by enhancing eNOS activity and attenuates oxidative/nitrative stress by inhibiting iNOS and NADPH oxidase expression and ONOO- production.

Effect of changji'an capsule on mRNA expressions of NPY and ACTH contents in brain-gut axis of IBS-D model rats / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effect of Changji'an Capsule (CA) on mRNA expressions of neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the hypothalamus and colon and serum levels of adreno-cortico-tropic hormone (ACTH) in rats of diarrhea predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) model rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 48 SD rats were randomly divided into six groups, i.e., the normal control group, the model group, the Pinaverium Bromide group (PB, 0.018 g/kg), the high dose CA group (2.812 g/kg), the medium dose CA group (1.406 g/kg), and the low dose CA group (0.703 g/kg), 8 in each group. The IBS-D rat model was established by using separation of breast milk + stimulation of acetic acid + constraint of four limbs. Normal saline was given to rats in the normal control group and the model group. All medication lasted for 14 successive days by gastrogavage. The serum content of ACTH was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expressions of NPY mRNA in the colon and the hypothalamus were detected using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the normal control group, the serum ACTH content significantly increased (P < 0.01), the NPY mRNA expression in the colon and the hypothalamus obviously decreased (P < 0.01) in the model control group. Compared with the model group, the serum ACTH obviously decreased in the high dose CA group, the medium dose CA group, and the PB group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The NPY mRNA expression in the colon and the hypothalamus were obviously up-regulated in the high dose CA group, the medium dose CA group, the low dose CA group, and the PB group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>CA could modulate the abnormity of brain-gut axis of IBS-D rats possibly by up-regulating NPY mRNA expressions in the hypothalamus and the colon and down-regulating the ACTH content in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.</p>

Molecular biomarkers of colorectal cancer: prognostic and predictive tools for clinical practice.

Colorectal cancer remains one of the most common types of cancer and leading causes of cancer death worldwide. Although we have made steady progress in chemotherapy and targeted therapy, evidence suggests that the majority of patients undergoing drug therapy experience severe, debilitating, and even lethal adverse drug events which considerably outweigh the benefits. The identification of suitable biomarkers will allow clinicians to deliver the most appropriate drugs to specific patients and spare them ineffective and expensive treatments. Prognostic and predictive biomarkers have been the subjects of many published papers, but few have been widely incorporated into clinical practice. Here, we want to review recent biomarker data related to colorectal cancer, which may have been ready for clinical use.

Efficacy and toxicity analysis of XELOX and FOLFOX4 regimens as adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colorectal cancer / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the efficacy and toxicity of capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (XELOX) versus 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin (5-Fu/LV) plus oxaliplatin (FOLFOX4) regimens as adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colorectal cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinicopathological data of 118 patients with stage III colorectal cancer were studied retrospectively. The patients were assigned to receive either FOLFOX4 regimen (n = 76) or XELOX regimen (n = 42). 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) and adverse events as end points were compared between the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The number of patients that failed to finish 8 cycles was higher in FOLFOX4 group (28 vs. 8, P = 0.044). There was no significant difference for 3-year DFS and all grades adverse events between the two groups. However, the FOLFOX4 group showed more grade 3/4 neutropenia (31.6% vs. 14.3%, P = 0.039) and central venous catheter-associated complication (11.8% vs. 4.8%, P = 0.205), while XELOX showed more grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia (19.0% vs. 6.6%, P = 0.038) and hand-foot syndrome (11.9% vs. 1.3%, P = 0.012).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results of this analysis indicate that XELOX and FOLFOX4 regimens have very similar efficacy as an adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer, but XELOX may be safer than FOLFOX4.</p>