ABSTRACT
Objective: To observe the effects of different frequencies of pricking-bloodletting at auricular points plus auricular point sticking therapy on the levels of the serum immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin M (IgM), testosterone (T), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in patients with acne vulgaris (AV). Methods: Ninety patients with AV were randomly assigned to treatment group 1, treatment group 2, and treatment group 3 according to the random number remainder grouping method, with 30 cases in each group. All three groups received pricking-bloodletting at auricular points plus auricular point sticking therapy. Treatment group 1 was treated once a week, treatment group 2 was treated twice a week, and treatment group 3 was treated 3 times a week. Four-week treatment was taken as 1 treatment course, and 3 treatment courses were observed. On the day before the start of the study and on the day next to the end of each course, the global acne grading system (GAGS) score was recorded, and 3 mL of blood from the median cubital vein was collected to test the serum levels of IgG, IgM, T, and IGF-1. After 3 courses of treatment, the efficacy index was calculated according to the GAGS score, and the serum indicators in patients with effective treatment (efficacy index ≥20％) and complete sampling were analyzed. Results: A total of 60 patients were included in the final blood indicator analysis. After 3 courses of treatment, the intra-group comparisons showed that the serum IgG level increased significantly in patients in treatment group 1 (P<0.01); the serum T level decreased significantly in the female patients in treatment group 2 (P<0.05); the IGF-1 level significantly decreased in the patients in all three groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). There were no significant differences in the serum levels of IgG, IgM, T, and IGF-1 among the three groups at each time point (P>0.05). Conclusion: Pricking-bloodletting at auricular points plus auricular point sticking therapy can affect the levels of serum IgG, T, and IGF-1 in AV patients. The level of the serum IGF-1 can be reduced by treatment once a week, twice a week, or 3 times a week. Treatment once a week can increase the patients' serum IgG level, and treatment twice a week can significantly decrease the serum T level in female patients. Reducing the serum IGF-1 level may be one of the action mechanisms of pricking-bloodletting at auricular points plus auricular point sticking therapy in treating AV.
ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the therapeutic effect of ESWL combined with urinary stone decoction and ear acupoint pressure for the patients with renal and ureteral calculi.Methods A total of 110 patients with renal and ureteral calculi were randomly divided into the Chinese medicine (CM) and conventional groups, 55 in each group. Both groups were given ESWL treatment as basic treatment. Chinese medicine group were given the urinary stone decoction and auricular acupressure, and the conventional group used stone granules. Both groups were treated for 2 weeks. According to the photography of ultrasound, the changes of calculi, time of lithagogue, pain relief after operation and the effect rates of pain relief on abdomen and waist, of remission of haematuria, and of urinate pain. ResultsAfter treatment, the successful rates of operation in the CM group was 90.9% (50/55), and conventional group was 76.4% (42/55). There was significant difference between 2 groups (χ2=4.251,P=0.009). The time of stone removal in CM group was significantly shorter than that in the conventional group (7.3 ± 3.8 dvs. 11.2 ± 4.3 d,t=4.032,P<0.001). After 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th days, the VAS pain scores in the CM group were significantly lower than those in the conventional group (4.1 ± 0.8vs. 5 ± 1.2,t=4.783;4.5 ± 0.9vs. 5.3 ± 1.3,t=4.492; 3.8 ± 0.8vs. 4.5 ± 0.8,t=4.503; 2.2 ± 0.8vs. 2.9 ± 0.9,t=3.691; allP<0.01). After 7th day, the rates of abdominal pain relief was 60% (33/55), pain relief was 79.1% (34/43), the remission of hematuria was 81% (17/21) in the CM group, and the control group were 40% (22/55), 59.6% (28/47), 52% (13/25). There were significant differences between 2 groups on these indices (χ2 values were 4.400, 3.982, 4.217,P values were 0.036, 0.046, 0.040).Conclusions The ESWL combined with urinary stone decoction and ear acupoint pressure could improve the symptoms of patients with kidney ureteral stones.