ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a severe and long-lasting side effect caused by various anticancer agents that damage sensory, motor and autonomic nerves. It can cause maladaptive behaviors, including disease severity, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, falls, and social impairment. These disorders have physical, psychological and social effects on patients and can seriously influence their quality of life. AIM: To investigate the current situation of psychosocial adaptation to the disease and its influencing factor in patients with CIPN. METHODS: A convenience sampling method was used to select 233 patients with CIPN in our hospital from February to August 2021. In addition, a cross-sectional survey was conducted using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Self-Report Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale, and the European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life CIPN20 (QLQ-CIPN20). Factors influencing psychosocial adaptation in patients with CIPN were analyzed by t-test or one-way analysis of variance, correlation analysis, multiple stepwise regression analysis, and structural equation models. RESULTS: The psychosocial adaptation score of patients with CIPN was 52.51 ± 13.18. Multivariate analysis showed that autonomic nerves, tumor stage, motor nerves, education level, availability of caregivers, semi-retirement status, CIPN grade were independent risk factors for patients with CIPN (P < 0.05). Structural equation models showed that QLQ-CIPN20 mediated the relationship between CIPN grade, tumor stage, and psychosocial adaptation. CONCLUSION: Patients with CIPN have poor psychosocial adaptation and are affected by a variety of physiological, psychological, and social factors. Patients' adaptive responses should be assessed, and targeted interventions implemented.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Moxibustion is widely used in East Asian countries to manage the symptom of rheumatic diseases. The aim of this study was to identify potential metabolic profiles of moxibustion on relieving ankylosing spondylitis (AS) mice through UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS metabolomic study. METHODS: Thirty-two female Balb/c mice were randomized into healthy control (HC), AS model, moxibustion at acupuncture points (MA) in AS model, and moxibustion at non-acupuncture points (MNA) AS model groups. Moxibustion was administered daily at GV4, bilateral BL23 and bilateral ST36 acupuncture points for four weeks in the MA group. The overall health status, the thickness of hind paws and the tissue concentrations of IL-1ß, PGE2, IL-6 and TNF-α were assessed. The UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS was used to explore the perturbations of endogenous metabolites in tissue and urine of AS model mice intervened by moxibustion. RESULTS: Compared with the AS group, the overall health status was significantly improved after 4-week moxibustion intervention (p < 0.05). The results also showed that MA significantly reduced the levels of paw thickness and decreased the levels of four cytokines in the tissue (p < 0.01). Thirty-seven endogenous metabolites identified by the OPLS-DA were considered to be contributing to therapeutic effects of moxibustion. Moreover, metabolic pathway analysis further revealed that the identified metabolites were mainly involved in TCA cycle, Lipid metabolism, Amino Acid metabolism, Intestinal flora metabolism and Purine metabolism. CONCLUSIONS: UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS based metabolomics approach, as a novel and powerful tool, can help us to gain the insights into potential mechanisms of action of moxibustion for AS.
