Characteristics of Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndromes and Treatments of COVID-19 Patients from Two Hospitals Based on “Treatment of Disease in Accordance with Three Conditions” / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the guidance value of “treatment of disease in accordance with three conditions” theory in the prevention and treatment of corona virus disease 2019（COVID-19） based on the differences of syndromes and traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） treatments in COVID-19 patients from Xingtai Hospital of Chinese Medicine of Hebei province and Ruili Hospital of Chinese Medicine and Dai Medicine of Yunnan province and discuss its significance in the prevention and treatment of the unexpected acute infectious diseases. MethodDemographics data and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients from the two hospitals were collected retrospectively and analyzed by SPSS 18.0. The information on formulas was obtained from the hospital information system （HIS） of the two hospitals and analyzed by the big data intelligent processing and knowledge service system of Guangdong Hospital of Chinese Medicine for frequency statistics and association rules analysis. Heat map-hierarchical clustering analysis was used to explore the correlation between clinical characteristics and formulas. ResultA total of 175 patients with COVID-19 were included in this study. The 70 patients in Xingtai，dominated by young and middle-aged males，had clinical symptoms of fever， abnormal sweating，and fatigue. The main pathogenesis is stagnant cold-dampness in the exterior and impaired yin by depressed heat， with manifest cold， dampness， and deficiency syndromes. The therapeutic methods highlight relieving exterior syndrome and resolving dampness， accompanied by draining depressed heat. The core Chinese medicines used are Poria，Armeniacae Semen Amarum，Gypsum Fibrosum，Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium，and Pogostemonis Herba. By contrast，the 105 patients in Ruili， dominated by young females， had atypical clinical symptoms， and most of them were asymptomatic patients or mild cases. The main pathogenesis is dampness obstructing the lung and the stomach， with obvious dampness and heat syndromes. The therapeutic methods are mainly invigorating the spleen， resolving dampness， and dispersing Qi with light drugs. The core Chinese medicines used are Poria，Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma，Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma，Coicis Semen，Platycodonis Radix，Lonicerae Japonicae Flos， and Pogostemonis Herba. ConclusionThe differences in clinical characteristics， TCM syndromes， and medication of COVID-19 patients from the two places may result from different regions，population characteristics， and the time point of the COVID-19 outbreak. The “treatment of disease in accordance with three conditions” theory can help to understand the internal correlation and guide the treatments.

Clinical metabolomics research on Xiaozhang Tie with the umbilical compress therapy for cirrhotic ascites / 药学学报

We used metabolomics technology to identify and understand the biomarkers and therapeutic mechanisms of umbilical compress therapy based on Xiaozhang Tie (XT) to provide scientific evidence for its clinical application. A total of 10 patients with cirrhotic ascites and gastrointestinal motility disorders who were hospitalized in the Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from November 2017 to June 2018 were divided into a placebo group (4 cases) or an XT group (5 cases), and 10 healthy volunteers were included as controls. This clinical trial was approved according to the Ethics Committee of Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (2017-528-11-01). The patients in the XT group were given umbilical compress therapy with Xiaozhang Tie, and patients in the placebo group were administered a plaster patch in which the drug content was less than 5%, receiving one patch per day for three consecutive days. Non-targeted metabolomics technology and UPLC-Q/Orbitrap-MS/MS analysis technology were utilized to investigate the fluctuations in endogenous metabolic profiles in the patient's urine prior to and after administration of XT. By analyzing and comparing the urine metabolic profiles of patients with cirrhotic ascites to those of healthy volunteers, a total of 31 biomarkers were identified, 14 of which were significantly decreased by the intervention with Xiaozhang Tie (P <0.05). Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that phenylalanine metabolism and tryptophan metabolism are key pathways affected by XT treatment. The results suggest that XT can alleviate cirrhotic ascites by modulating abnormalities in amino acid metabolism.

The development of quality of life questionnaire of Chinese medicine for postoperative patients with colorectal cancer and item screening / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To develop quality of life questionnaire of Chinese medicine for postoperative patients with colorectal cancer (QLQ-CMPPCC), thus comprehensively and objectively evaluating the clinical efficacy of Chinese medicine and pharmacy in treating postoperative patients with colorectal cancer (CC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The theoretical structure model of the questionnaire was addressed in combined with basic theories of Chinese medicine according to the principle of WHO quality of life (QOL). The primary questionnaire was developed using methods of structuralization policy making after we extensively retrieve various universal and specific questionnaires for CC cancer patients at home and abroad. The 205 CC patients were tested by questionnaire. The items were screened using experts grading method, item selection analysis, dispersion trends of standard deviation, t-test, correlation coefficient method, factor analysis,and Cronbach's alpha.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The QLQ-CMPPCC was developed containing four domains of physical, psychological, independence, and social functions, involving 20 aspects and 54 items. Of them, non-fistula patients answered 43 items and fistula patients answered 46 items. One item covered the general QOL evaluation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>QLQ-CMPPCC showed Chinese medical features. It comprehensively reflected the connotation of QOL for postoperative CC patients. It could be taken as a tool for evaluating Chinese medical efficacy for postoperative CC patients.</p>

A randomized controlled single-blind clinical trial on 84 outpatients with psoriasis vulgaris by auricular therapy combined with optimized Yinxieling Formula / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the therapeutic effect of auricular therapy combined with optimized Yinxieling Formula on psoriasis vulgaris.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A randomized controlled single-blind clinical trial on 84 outpatients with psoriasis vulgaris was conducted. The patients were randomized to a treatment group (43 cases treated by auricular therapy combined with optimized Yinxieling Formula) and a control group (41 cases treated by optimized Yinxieling Formula alone) according to a random number generated by SPSS 17.0 software. The treatment duration for both groups was 8 weeks. The therapeutic effect was comprehensively measured by the primary outcome measure [Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) reduction rate] and the secondary outcome measure [PASI, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), and Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS)]. The outcomes of both groups were obtained and compared before and after the intervention.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The PASI reduction rate in the treatment group was 74.4% (32/43), which was higher than that in the control group (36.6%, 15/41, P<0.01). The PASI scores decreased in both groups after treatment and was lower in the treatment group compared with the control group P<0.01). With stratified analysis, there were significant differences between the PASI scores in the following subgroups: age 18-30, baseline PASI>10 and stable stage (P<0.05). DLQI decreased in both groups on some categories after treatment, but there were no significant differences between the two groups in SDS, SAS and VAS (P >0.05). No obvious adverse reactions were found in either group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The therapeutic effect of auricular therapy combined with Optimized Yinxieling Formula was superior to Optimized Yinxieling Formula alone with no obvious adverse reaction.</p>

A structural equation model for the WHO health survey data / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Based on the 2002 WHO health survey data, to explore the latent relationship among self-reported health level, the actual level of health, the social demographic characteristics and the risk factors, and to analyze the influence of the various surveillance indicators on self-reported health and the degree that the self-reported health explained the actual level of health.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Field tests for various components of the World health survey were conducted in nine countries during 2002, including India, Brazil, Burkina, Hungary, Nepal, Russia, Spain, Tunisia, and Vietnam (29 971). The survey questionnaire included a self-assessment component and anchoring vignette component. The self-assessment component data was adjusted and eliminated the affect of "cut-point bias" by using the anchoring vignette component data, and then was used to build the structural equation model on the relationship among self-reported health level, actual health level, social demographic characteristics and the risk factors.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the final structural equation model, "the actual level of health" = 0.80 × "the self-reported health level" + (-0.04) × "the social demographic characteristics" + (-0.08) × "the risk factors" (R(2) = 0.66), and "the self-reported health level" = (-0.70) × "the social demographic characteristics" + 0.10 × "the risk factors" (R(2) = 0.55). The standardized total effect of self-reported health to the actual level of health was 0.80, and that of the social demographic characteristics to the self-reported health and the actual level of health were -0.70 and -0.60, respectively. And the 16 items of self-reported health consisted of 8 dimensions; and sorted by the power of impact to the actual health level, they were mobility, pain and discomfort, sleep, cognition, feelings, self-care ability, visual capacity and interpersonal activities.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There were significant linear correlation relationship between the actual level of health and the self-reported health, as well as between the self-reported health and the social demographic characteristics. And the self-reported 16 items used by the 2002 WHO health survey played an important role in the health evaluation of population.</p>