Acupuncture Improves Intestinal Absorption of Iron in Iron-deficient Obese Patients: A Randomized Controlled Preliminary Trial / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Obesity has an adverse effect on iron status. Hepcidin-mediated inhibition of iron absorption in the duodenum is a potential mechanism. Iron-deficient obese patients have diminished response to oral iron therapy. This study was designed to assess whether acupuncture could promote the efficacy of oral iron supplementation for the treatment of obesity-related iron deficiency (ID).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty ID or ID anemia (IDA) patients with obesity were screened at Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and were randomly allocated to receive either oral iron replacement allied with acupuncture weight loss treatment (acupuncture group, n = 30) or oral iron combined with sham-acupuncture treatment (control group, n = 30). Anthropometric parameters were measured and blood samples were tested pre- and post-treatment. Differences in the treatment outcomes of ID/IDA were compared between the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After 8 weeks of acupuncture treatment, there was a significant decrease in body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and waist/hip circumference ratio of patients in the acupuncture group, while no significant changes were observed in the control group. Oral iron supplementation brought more obvious improvements of iron status indicators including absolute increases in serum iron (11.08 ± 2.19 μmol/L vs. 4.43 ± 0.47 μmol/L), transferrin saturation (11.26 ± 1.65% vs. 1.01 ± 0.23%), and hemoglobin (31.47 ± 1.19 g/L vs. 21.00 ± 2.69 g/L) in the acupuncture group than control group (all P < 0.05). Meanwhile, serum leptin (2.26 ± 0.45 ng/ml vs. 8.13 ± 0.55 ng/ml, P < 0.05) and hepcidin (3.52 ± 1.23 ng/ml vs. 6.77 ± 0.84 ng/ml, P < 0.05) concentrations declined significantly in the acupuncture group than those in the control group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture-based weight loss can enhance the therapeutic effects of iron replacement therapy for obesity-related ID/IDA through improving intestinal iron absorption, probably by downregulating the systemic leptin-hepcidin levels.</p>

Investigating genotype of HCV distribution among residents in a "blood donation" village in Hebei Province / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate genotype of HCV infection among residents in a rural village, Hebei Province.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Blood samples of the 520 residents were collected, and C/E1 of HCV genome of the 483 samples were obtained by RT-PCR amplifying, and the gene sequences were analyzed and the polygenetic tree were drawn by the software Mega 4.0.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In 483 subjects, HCV-RNA positive objectives are 70, positive prevalence is 14.5%, genotyping for all the samples successfully, including genotypes 1b and 2a, which are 36 (51.4%), 34 (48.6%) respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>HCV RNA positive rate is 14.5%, which is higher than general people. Subtypes 1b and 2a seemed to be the dominant genotypes of HCV in Zhao county area of Hebei Province.</p>

The analysis of hepatitis B virus genetic characterization and ratio of mutation in low-age group of HuNan / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>In order to investigate the characterization of mutation and genotype distributing in the younger group which was under the universal vaccination. The sequence of HBV was analyzed to offer the information to control and prevention in the area.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Young person's sera with positive HBsAg are collected, and the Large S sequence of HBV including preS and S gene are amplified and sequenced. The genotype and serotype were determined by clastwal with the standard genotype sequence. And one virus complete genome is amplified.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The virus gene are successful amplified from the 33 sera. The sequence result indicate the 30 of 33 (90.9%) HBV genotype is B and 3 of 33 (9.0%) is C. The HBV serotype including ayw (1), adr (3), adw (29), 5 of 33 mutated in the "a" dominant of HBV, and the percentage is 15.2% . The HBV full length gene of serum number of 5856 is amplified and sequenced. Its genotype is B, serotype is adw and length is 3215 base.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The dominant genotype of HuNan is B, and the dominant serotype is adw.</p>