Stability of IgE in Postmortem Plasma and Hemolyzed Samples / 法医学杂志

Objective To investigate the stability of IgE in postmortem plasma and hemolyzed samples under different storage conditions and freezing-thawing. Methods Thirty nine cardiac blood samples were collected from non-frozen corpses with the postmortem interval of less than 48 hours, including 20 plasma samples and 19 hemolyzed samples taken from whole blood. The samples were stored at -20 ℃, 4 ℃ and 25 ℃ for 28 d and at -80 ℃ for 1 year to evaluate the stability of IgE under different storage conditions. Repeated freezing-thawing treatment was conducted for 5 times to explore the stability of IgE in postmortem plasma and hemolyzed samples. IgE concentration in plasma and hemolyzed samples was detected by electroluminescence before and after treatment. Results The degradation rates of IgE in plasma samples under the three storage conditions, -20 ℃, 4 ℃ and 25 ℃ were close. After 28 d, the mean value was about 15%, the degradation speed of IgE in hemolyzed samples was faster than that of plasma under the same condition （P<0.05） and the degradation rate was faster than other two conditions under 25 ℃ （P<0.05）. The differences in the concentration of plasma samples after freezing at -80 ℃ for 1 year and that before freezing had no statistical significance （ P>0.05）, while the concentration of hemolyzed samples was degraded after freezing at -80 ℃ for 1 year （P<0.05）. The differences between the detection results of plasma and hemolyzed samples after repeated freezing-thawing for 5 times and that before freezing-thawing showed no statistical significance （ P>0.05）. Conclusion IgE has good freezing-thawing stability in postmortem plasma and hemolyzed samples. Stability of IgE is better in postmortem plasma samples than hemolyzed samples, thus it is recommended to separate plasma from postmortem blood samples as soon as possible in forensic practice.

Effect of Negative Emotions on Serum Levels of Adrenocorticotropic Hormones and Neuropeptide Y in Hepatitis B Liver Cirrhosis Patients / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effect of negative emotions on serum levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and neuropeptide Y (NYP) in hepatitis B liver cirrhosis (HBLC) patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 617 HBLC patients were assigned to the negative emotion group (415 cases) and the non-negative emotion group (202 cases) judged by negative emotions. Case numbers of various grading Child-Pugh were recorded in the two groups. Their liver functions were compared between the two groups. Serum levels of ACTH and NPY were detected using double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was no statistical difference in Child-Pugh grading between the two groups (χ2 = 0.65, P = 0.72). Compared with the non-negative emotional group, serum ACTH levels decreased significantly in the negative emotion group with statistical difference (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in serum ACTH levels between the two groups (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The negative emotion of HBLC patients was not related to the serum ACTH level, but to relatively lower-concentration serum NPY levels.</p>

Distribution characteristics of meridian sinew (jingjin) syndrome in 313 cases of whiplash-associated disorders / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate and analyze the characteristics of Meridian Sinew (Jingjin) syndrome in patients with whiplash-associated disorders (WAD).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From August 2010 to September 2011, 313 WAD cases from New York and California states were collected. The survey mostly collects the information of "Sinew Knotted Points" and symptoms of four types of Meridian Sinew differentiation-Taiyang, Shaoyin, Shaoyang and Yangming.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the cases which are on the average of medium injury level, the higher frequency of "Sinew Knotted Points" tenderness were found on Jianwaishu (SI 14), Jianzhongshu (SI 15), Tianchuang (SI 16), C3-6 Spinous Process, Dazhui (GV 14), Fengchi (GB 20), Tianliao (SJ 15) and Tianding (LI 17). The most commonly presented symptoms were widespread spasm and tenderness in the neck (Taiyang), difficulty in lateral flexion (Shaoyang), problems of extension and flexion (Taiyang), and stiffness and pain during neck movement (Yangming). Among the cases, 237 cases (75.72%) were related to Taiyang Meridian Sinew syndrome, 82 cases (26.20%) to Shaoyin syndrome and 175 (55.91%) and 176 (56.23%) cases to Shaoyang and Yangming syndrome respectively. The most of cases presented in a combination format. The syndrome distribution under Grade I, II and III reflected that more combination of the Meridian Sinew syndromes in the whiplash injury patients which is resulted from more severity of injury.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>It is practical to identify the location of abnormality through Meridian Sinew differentiation, considering both "Sinew Knotted Points" tenderness and corresponding symptoms, for the local neck symptoms of WAD.</p>

Study on the quantization diagnostic method for immunoglobulin A nephropathy of qi-yin deficiency syndrome / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the method for establishing a quantization diagnostic standard for immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy of qi-yin deficiency syndrome (QYDS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>1,016 patients with primary IgA nephropathy were recruited in this study. They were randomly assigned to the training sample group (344 cases of QYDS and 456 cases of non-QYDS) and the testing sample group (77 cases of QYDS and 139 cases of non-QYDS) using SPSS software. On the basis of epidemiological survey, the typing standards for QYDS and common clinical symptoms were taken as candidate correlated factors. The correlated factors were selected using binary Logistic stepwise regression. The correlated factors were scored using conditional probability conversion method. The threshold value of the quantization diagnostics was determined using maximum likelihood method. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to calculate the area under curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy rating. The retrospective and prospective tests were performed on the established quantization diagnostic standard for QYDS.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The quantization diagnosis threshold value of IgA nephropathy of QYDS was 12 points. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy rating of the quantization diagnostic standard were 75.3%, 68.0%, and 71.1% in the retrospective test, as well as 60.4%, 84.4%, and 69.0% in the prospective tests. The AUC was 0.80 and 0.78 respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>It was a feasible method to set up a quantization diagnostic standard for IgA nephropathy of QYDS by taking the occurrence frequency of symptoms. But this method failed to cover the strength information of symptoms.</p>

Preliminary study on syndrome differentiation types and acupuncture for whiplash injuries / 中国针灸

Whiplash injury is a relatively common injury of clinical acupuncture and moxibustion in the United States. The mechanism and clinical manifestation of whiplash injuries as well as its pathogenesis described in TCM were analyzed in this present article. The authors introduced the TCM syndrome differentiation of whiplash injuries and claimed that both the location and the stage of disease should be considered. For the different injury locations, the meridian musculature differentiation was applied to classify the whiplash injuries as Taiyang, Yangming, Shaoyang and Shaoyin Meridian syndromes. Considering the duration of the injury, qi stagnation and blood stasis types were classified in the acute stage and phlegm accumulation, insufficiency of the liver and kidney and qi and blood deficiencies types were classified during the chronic stage. An acupuncture protocol for whiplash injuries and typical cases were also introduced.

Application of palpation in various acupuncture schools of the United States: current status and considerations / 中国针灸

Palpation is one of the major diagnostic methods in Chinese medicine. The article has summed up the current status, features and origins of various palpations in different acupuncture schools in the United States, including palpation on meridian, collaterals and acupoints in traditional Chinese acupuncture, abdominal palpation of Japanese acupuncture, pulse checking for couples in five-element acupuncture, palpation on tendon straps and muscle response testing in acupuncture physical medicine. Since great importance has always been attached on social psychological factors in all acupuncture schools of America, it is thus concluded that the interactive mechanism of diagnosis and treatment represented by palpation feedback examination is not only the manifestation of people oriented individualized treatment both physically and psychologically in America, but also a kind of inheritance and development of diagnosis and treatment in the modernization of TCM.

Exploration on the concept and category of sub-health and Chinese medicine "treating pre-disease" doctrine and the relationship between them / 中国中西医结合杂志

Based on disserting the concept and category of sub-health state and the Chinese medicine "treating pre-disease" doctrine, the relationship between them was discussed. The authors considered that the sub-health state belongs to the categories of "treating pre-disease"; the thinking and theoretical system can be used to guide the identification and intervention of sub-health, and the research on sub-health may further complement and develop the connotation and theoretical system of "treating pre-disease".

Estimation on the reliability and validity of the fatigue self-assessment scale / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the reliability and validity of the Fatigue Self-assessment Scale (FSAS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The scale was applied among the participants assigned to 4 groups, the differences in types, degrees and characteristics of fatigue of them were compared, and the reliability and constitutional validity of ESAS were assessed by internal consistency analysis, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis using the statistical software of SPSS and LISREL.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Statistical differences of types, degrees and characteristics of fatigue presented in the participants of the 4 groups. The Cronbach's alpha of various factors in the scale were 0.772-0.908; the indexes for the section of assessing type, and degree of fatigue were RMSEA=0.065, NNFI=0.95, CFI=0.96; and those for the section of assessing characteristics of fatigue were: RMSEA=0.10, NNFI=0.93, CFI=0.96.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The FSAS has good differentiability, reliability and constitutional validity for assessing the type, degree and characteristics of fatigue in various populations. In order to explore the relationship of TCM syndrome patterns with the type, degree and characteristics of fatigue, its future application for evaluation of fatigue and intervention effect of anti-fatigue should be combined with TCM syndrome differentiation.</p>

Sub-health state and chronic fatigue syndrome / 中国中西医结合杂志

This paper points out that the sub-health state is not equal to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) on basis of elaborating the concept and category of sub-health. And the present understanding on concepts of fatigue, chronic fatigue and CFS, as well as the diagnosis criteria and differential diagnosis of CFS are discussed systematically.

Literature search of TCM syndrome elements of common diseases / 中华中医药杂志

Objective: To summarize the distributing rule of TCM syndrome elements of common diseases by analyzing the literature of Depression,Chronic Hepatitis B,Chronic Renal Failure,Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease,Menopausal Syndrome.Methods: We selected eligible literatures,then established database with EpiData 3.0 software and computed the frequency of TCM syndrome elements with SPSS 12.0 software.Results: ①Liver,heart,spleen,lung and kidney are common TCM syndrome elements of location of disease.②Yin deficiency,yang deficiency,heat,qi stasis,qi deficiency,blood stasis,damp and phlegm are common TCM syndrome elements of nature of disease.③There are TCM syndrome types between 62 and 148,but the sum of frequency of leading syndrome types which includes disease information is mostly no more than 50%.There are TCM syndrome elements between 19 and 47,but the sum of frequency of leading syndrome elements which includes disease information is mostly above 80%.Conclusion: It is convenient to study TCM syndrome from the aspect of TCM syndrome elements,so we should thoroughly keep on studying TCM syndrome elements.