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Objective To assess the effectiveness of puncturing Sifeng points (EX-UE10) and pricking Back-Shu points in treating dyspepsia due to chemotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Method Sixty patients were randomized into an observation group (30 cases) and a control group (30 cases). The observation group was intervened by puncturing Sifeng points and pricking Back-Shu points, once a week. The selected Back-Shu points included bilateral Pishu (BL20), Weishu (BL21) and Geshu (BL17). The control group was treated by promoting gastrointestinal motility (itopride hydrochloride 50 mg) and supplementing digestive enzymes (compound azintamide tablets). The two groups were observed before and after treatment in terms of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptom score, nutritional status score and Karnofsky Performance Score (KPS). The therapeutic efficacies were also assessed. Result The total effective rate was 93.3％ (28/30) in the observation group versus 70.0％ (21/30) in the control group, and the between-group difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The TCM symptom score showed significant improvement in both groups after treatment (P<0.01), and the improvement in the observation group was more significant than that in the control group (P<0.01). After treatment, the score of Patient Generated-Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) decreased significantly in both groups (P<0.01), while there was no significant difference in the score between the two groups (P>0.05). The KPS score increased significantly in both groups after treatment (P<0.01), and there was a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05), indicating a more significant improvement of KPS score in the observation group. Conclusion Puncturing Sifeng plus pricking Back-Shu points is effective in treating dyspepsia due to chemotherapy for TNBC. It can improve patient's appetite and quality of life.
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Objective To study the effectiveness of electroacupuncture plus bloodletting in treating deglutition disorder after cerebral stroke.Method Eighty-four patients were randomized into a treatment group and a control group, 42 cases in each group. The treatment group was intervened by electroacupuncture plus bloodletting and rehabilitation training, while the control group was intervened by rehabilitation training. After 2 treatment courses and 6 months after the treatment, Kubota's water drinking test and clinical bedside assessment were evaluated to measure the short-term and long-term therapeutic efficacies. By observing the change of clinical bedside assessment score, the effect of electroacupuncture plus bloodletting on certain symptoms of deglutition disorder was analyzed.Result The total effective rate was 90.5% in the treatment group versus54.8% in the control group, and the between-group difference was statistically significant (P<0.01).Respectively after 2 treatment courses and 6 months after the intervention, the drinking water test scores in the treatment group were superior to those in the control group (P<0.05). The bedside assessment scores in the treatment group were better than those in the control group respectively after 2 treatment courses and 6 months after the intervention (P<0.05). Post-treatment water drinking and bedside assessment scores were significantly better than pre-treatment scores in both groups (P<0.05). According to the observation of short-term and long-term change of bedside assessment, electroacupuncture plus bloodletting significantly improved both short-term and long-term scores of throat function, pharynx reflex, involuntary cough, throat movement, and swallowing cough (P<0.05).Conclusion Clinical observation showed that electroacupuncture plus bloodletting can produce significant short-term and long-term therapeutic efficacies in treating deglutition disorder after cerebral stroke. Electroacupuncture plus bloodletting can produce satisfactory effects in improving mouth-phase and pharynx-phase symptoms and signs in treating deglutition disorder after cerebral stroke.
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Objective To analyze results of atopy patch test (APT) with dust mite allergens at different concentrations in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD),and to evaluate the diagnostic value of APT.Methods Totally,85 patients with AD were enrolled into this study.All the patients underwent APT with 5 concentrations (3 000,5 000,7 000,10 000 and 12 000 pnu/g) of dust mite allergens,as well as skin prick test (SPT) with dust mite allergens.Dust mite allergens were obtained from two different manufacturers (group 1 and 2).Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to detect allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (SIgE) in sera from these patients.The sensitivity,specificity and positive predictive value of APT,SPT and SIgE assay were compared,and the results of APT were compared among different concentrations of allergens and between allergens from different manufacturers.Results When SIgE assay served as the gold standard,the sensitivity,specificity and positive predictive value in the diagnosis of dust mite allergy were 79.41％,76.12％,and 64.29％ respectively for APT,73.53％,80.95％ and 67.57％ respectively for SPT with group 1 dust mite allergens,and 81.53％,77.78％ and 65.09％ respectively for APT,76.02％,79.85％ and 66.07％ respectively for SPT with group 2 allergens.When SPT was regarded as the gold standard,the sensitivity,specificity and positive predictive value in the diagnosis of dust mite allergy were 78.38％,77.42％,67.44％ respectively for APT,67.57％,84.21％,73.53％ respectively for SIgE assay with group 1 dust mite allergens,79.25％,80.63％ and 69.55％ respectively for APT,61.07％,82.54％ and 77.21％ respectively for SIgE assay with group 2 allergens.There were no significant differences in the sensitivity,specificity or positive predictive value of APT or SPT between the two groups of allergens.The positive rate of APT was 8.24％,22.35％,29.41％,44.71％ and 41.18％ respectively with group 1 allergens at 3 000,5 000,7 000,10 000 and 12 000 pnu/g,and 3.53％,23.53％,31.76％,34.12％ and 35.29％ respectively with group 2 allergens.No significant differences were observed in the positive rate of APT between group 1 and 2 allergens at same concentrations (all P ＞ 0.05),but a significant difference was observed in that between different concentrations of group 1 or 2 allergens (both P＜ 0.05).The positive rate of APT increased with the increase of allergen concentrations,but stopped rising when the concentrations of group 1 and 2 allergens reached 7 000 pnu/g and 5 000 pnu/g respectively.Conclusions The sensitivity of APT is relatively high for the diagnosis of dust mite allergy.The positive rate of APT increased with the increase in allergen concentrations,but stopped rising when the concentrations reached a certain level.
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Objective To identify allergens in portunus trituberculatus responsible for atopic dermatitis (AD) in children.Methods Totally,145 child outpatients with AD were enrolled in this study from September 2013 to July 2014,and underwent the skin prick test (SPT) with crab proteins or crab-specific IgE determination assay.Then,the children with positive SPT or elevated IgE levels underwent an oral challenge with portunus trituberculatus.Serum samples were collected from 33 children with a positive oral food challenge (test group) and from 30 health check-up child examinees (control group).Total proteins were extracted from fresh portunus trituberculatus.Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blot were conducted to identify the protein fragments of portunus trituberculatus responsible for AD among these children.Results The SDS-PAGE of crude protein extracts from portunus trituberculatus yielded 11 protein bands with relative molecular masses of 94 000,70 000,58 000,49 000,36 000,34 000,32 000,27 000,21 000,19 000 and 17 000 respectively.Of the 11 protein bands,only 4 with relative molecular masses of 70 000,58 000,49 000 and 36 000 respectively reacted with sera from the patients by Western blot,with the reaction rate being 93.9％,45.4％,39.4％ and 100％ respectively.None of these protein bands reacted with sera from the control group by Western blot.There were significant differences between the test group and control group in the reaction rates of the four proteins with relative molecular masses of 70 000,58 000,49 000 and 36 000 respectively to sera (x2 =55.483,17.898,14.891,63.000,all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion The two proteins with relative molecular masses of 70 000 and 36 000 respectively are major allergens in portunus trituberculatus responsible for AD among children.
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Objective To observe the treatment difference of using acupiont application alone, pricking Sifeng (EX-UE10) alone, and combination of the two therapies in treating infantile chronic cough. Method Ninety patients were randomized into 3 groups (acupoint application group, pricking Sifeng group, and a combining group), 30 in each group. Same points were selected for the three groups:Feishu (BL13), Pishu (BL20), Shenshu (BL23), and Sifeng (EX-UE 10). By follow-up research of the symptom scale, the therapeutic efficacies were compared. Result The total effective rate was 83.3%in the acupoint application group, 80.0%in the pricking Sifeng (EX-UE 10) group, and 93.3%in the combining group;meanwhile, the symptom scores were significantly changed after intervention in all three groups (P＜0.05). Conclusion Separate use and combining use of acupoint application and pricking Sifeng (EX-UE 10) all can improve the condition of infantile chronic cough, while the combining use can produce a significantly higher therapeutic efficacy, thus it’s a safe, effective, and easy-to-operate external treatment in traditional Chinese medicine.
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Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of pricking and bleeding the Jing-well points with three-edge needle in treating acute Bell’s palsy.Method Sixty patients with Bell’s palsy were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 30 in each group. In addition to the regular Chinese and Western medicine treatment for Bell’s palsy, the observation group also received pricking and bleeding treatment with three-edge needle at the Jing-well points. The House-Brackman (H-B) Scale and R wave in blink reflex (BR) were observed.Result The total effective rate was 93.0% in the observation group, significantly higher than 90.0% in the control group (P＜0.05). The H-B score significantly increased in both groups after intervention (P＜0.05). The observation group was significantly higher than the control group in comparing H-B score at the end of first and second treatment course (P＜0.05). The R1 and R2 waves in BR increased markedly after intervention in both groups (P＜0.05); the observation group was significantly higher than the control group in comparing R1 wave (P＜0.05), and R2 wave only at the end of the first course (P＜0.05) but not at the end of the second course (P>0.05).Conclusion Combining pricking and bleeding the Jing-well points with three-edge needle in the treatment of Bell’s palsy can enhance the therapeutic efficacy and promote the recovery of the facial nerve function.
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Objective: To observe the therapeutic efficacy of fire-needle therapy plus tuina in treating primary knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in the elderly. Methods: Twenty-three patients with KOA were intervened by pricking with fire-needle therapy plus tuina, and evaluated by using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) before and after intervention. Results: After intervention, the total score, scores of pain, rigidity, and activities of daily living of WOMAC dropped significantly (P Conclusion: Pricking with fire needle plus tuina can produce a significant therapeutic efficacy in treating KOA in the elderly, thus worth application in clinic.