ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Acupuncture is a potentially effective non-pharmacological treatment for insomnia. OBJECTIVE: We observed the responses of patients with insomnia to acupuncture in routine clinical practice. In addition, we explored patient characteristics that might affect the treatment response to acupuncture for insomnia. METHODS: Medical records of patients with insomnia in a Korean medicine clinic with baseline Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) scores ⩾8 and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores ⩾5 were reviewed. Acupuncture was applied at ST43, GB41, ST41, SI5, HT3, KI10, HT7 and ST3, for 1-2 months. The ISI and PSQI were measured monthly to assess insomnia severity. The effect of acupuncture over time was analyzed using a multilevel linear model for repeated measures. In addition, logistic regression was used to explore predictors of treatment response. RESULTS: A total of 91 patients with insomnia aged 59.2 ± 12.5 years (mean ± standard deviation (SD)) (90.1% female) were included in the analysis. After the acupuncture treatment, ISI scores were significantly reduced by -3.75 (95% confidence interval (CI) = -4.99, -2.50) and -4.69 (95% CI = -6.22, -3.16) after the first and second month, respectively. The PSQI global scores also improved, and sleep duration showed a tendency to increase by 0.35 h (95% CI = -0.17, 0.86) after acupuncture treatment. Three cases of mild fatigue were reported. In addition, higher baseline pain/discomfort predicted a greater likelihood of response after acupuncture treatment (odds ratio (OR) = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.10, 2.60). CONCLUSION: In a real-world setting, the insomnia of outpatients in a clinic was slightly alleviated after acupuncture treatment. These findings require validation by randomized controlled trials.
ABSTRACT
We have developed a colorimetric biosensing system for the detection of antibody against MPT64, a protein secreted by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, using aptamer DNA adsorbed Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) for diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). In this system, MNPs were first incubated with single stranded (ss) DNA-type aptamer having a high affinity toward target antibody against MPT64 (anti-MPT64), resulting in quick inhibition of the peroxidase-like activity of MNPs via the adsorption of aptamer on the surface of MNPs. By the addition of sample solutions containing anti-MPT64, aptamer bound on the surface of MNPs would strongly interact with free anti-MPT64 and be detached from the MNPs, thereby increasing the available surface area of the MNPs and consequently yielding enhanced peroxidase activity. Using this strategy, target anti-MPT64 was successfully detected by displaying increased colorimetric intensities from the higher oxidation of employed peroxidase substrate, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzo-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS). Based on these results, we anticipate that aptamer adsorbed MNPs can serve as a potent probe system for the detection of clinically important target molecules.
Subject(s)
Aptamers, Nucleotide , Biosensing Techniques , Magnetite Nanoparticles , Tuberculosis , Antigens, Bacterial , Colorimetry , HumansABSTRACT
Although Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have gathered particular interest as potent peroxidase mimetics, their practical utility has been critically limited by their low catalytic activity. Here, we have developed a nanohybrid material to significantly enhance the catalytic activity of MNPs by incorporating other enzyme mimetics, gold nanoclusters (AuNCs), through electrostatic attraction. Owing to the synergistic effect of MNPs and AuNCs, the constructed nanohybrid yielded highly enhanced peroxidase-like activity and higher resolution in electrochemical detection of H2O2 than bare MNPs. The nanohybrids were also successfully applied to detecting phenolic compounds including phenol and cresol, producing a concentration-dependent increase of cathodic current. Based on this result, we expect that the nanohybrids consisting of AuNCs and MNPs can serve as potent peroxidase mimetics for environmental monitoring.
