Taken Huantiao (GB 30) as breakthrough point, acupuncture manipulations of generating various needling sensations by different physicians are sorted. Types of acupoint needling sensations and conducting directions after acupuncture and all kinds of factors that affect needling sensations are analyzed from new perspectives. It is considered that attention should be paid to acupoint location, postures of patients, manipulation methods, types of needling sensations, transmission lines and duration time of needling sensations, etc.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Needles ; Sensation

Objective To explore the association between moxibustion sensation and therapeutic efficacy during moxibustion treatment. Methods By applying Taiyi moxa stick to Shiqizhui (EX-B 8) to treat primary dysmenorrhea, the association between the change of Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score and the topical moxibustion sensation and transmission types during the 30 min moxibustion treatment was observed. Besides, the occurrence time of transmission, and the transmission distance, width, depth, and direction were recorded. Results Superficial moxibustion sensation occurred in forty patients, of whom, the VAS score changed by (38.50±14.38) mm; heat-penetrating moxibustion sensation occurred in 18 patients, and the VAS score changed by (38.89±12.43) mm; heat-expanding sensation occurred in 6 patients, and the VAS score changed by (45.00±14.10) mm; distant transmission happened in 13 patients, and the VAS score changed by (41.54±13.90) mm. Patients with 4 types of moxibustion sensation had the highest VAS scores both before and after treatment, followed by 3 types, 2 types, and 1 type moxibustion sensation. In comparing the changes of VAS score between 10 min and 20 min treatment and between 20 min and 30 min treatment, the patients with 4 types of moxibustion sensation had the most significant change. Conclusions Different moxibustion sensations occur at different frequencies, and the occurrence of moxibustion sensation is related to the severity of disease condition. The number of moxibustion sensation type can affect the remission process of disease, but can merely influence the treatment result. The single moxibustion sensation (superficial heat only) works faster, usually taking 0~10 min; while the other forms of moxibustion sensation (heat penetrating, heat-expanding, and distant transmission) works slower, usually taking over 20 min.

Objective: To compare the therapeutic effects of two different moxibustion methods both with tai-yi moxa stick in treating primary dysmenorrhea. ＜br> Methods: Forty-three patients were randomized into two groups by the random number table according to their treatment orders. The causalgic group was intervened by causalgic stimulation with tai-yi moxa stick while the tepid group was treated by mild thermal stimulation with tai-yi moxa stick. Shiqizhui (EX-B 8) was selected for both groups. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used for observation before and during the treatment by every 10 min to compare the clinical efficacies between the two groups. ＜br> Results: Before treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in pain intensity between the two groups (P>0.05). After treatment, both groups achieved significant improvements in pain intensity (P＜0.05), but the inter-group difference in pain intensity was still statistically insignificant (P>0.05), but the difference was enlarged comparing with that before treatment. The pain relief during the first 10 min of treatment was slower in the causalgic group than that in the tepid group. However, during the later 20 min, the pain relief in the calsalgia group gradually outpaced that in the tepid group. ＜br> Conclusion: The two moxibustion methods with tai-yi moxa stick both have a good instant analgesic effect in treating primary dysmenorrhea. For patients with primary dysmenorrhea, if 30 min is regarded as the treatment time, mild stimulation was suggested to be used for the first 10 min, and causalgic stimulation for the later 20 min to achieve a better curative effect.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the reliability of magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) combined with multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) in the detection of the molecular cytogenetic abnormalities in multiple myeloma.

METHODSThe bone marrow cells were collected from 29 patients with multiple myeloma. The immuno magnetically sorted and unsorted cells were detected for TP53 and RB1 expressions using MLPA probes and the results were compared with fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH).

RESULTSThe detection success rate was 100% for MLPA, which yielded results with an concordance rate of 99.1% with the FISH results. The positivity rates of MLPA and FISH were both increased after immunomagnetic sorting of the bone marrow cells.

CONCLUSIONMLPA can well suit the clinical needs for detecting molecular cytogenetic abnormalities in multiple myeloma, and the samples should be immuno magnetically sorted before the assay.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Female ; Humans ; Immunomagnetic Separation ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Karyotyping ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Myeloma ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction

Background: Nickel-induced allergic contact dermatitis (Ni-ACD) is a global health problem. More detailed knowledge on the skin uptake of haptens is required. This study aimed to investigate the penetration process and distribution of nickel in skin tissues with late phase and early phase of Ni-ACD to understand the mechanisms of metal allergy. Methods: Forty Hartley guinea pigs were divided into four groups according to the NiSO₄ sensitizing concentration and the NiSO₄ challenged concentration: the 5% NiSO₄-group, 5% to 10% (sensitization-challenge; late phase group); 10% NiSO₄-group, 10% to 10% (sensitization-challenge; early-phase group); and the positive and negative controls. Pathological biopsies were performed on each group. The depth profile of nickel element concentration in the skin of guinea pigs was detected by synchrotron radiation micro X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (SR-μ-XRF) and micro X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (μ-XANES). Results: In each section, the nickel element concentration in both the 5% NiSO₄-group and 10% NiSO₄-group was significantly higher than that in the negative control group. In the upper 300-μm section of skin for the early phase group, the nickel element concentration was significantly higher than that in the lower section of skin. In deeper sections (<200 μm) of skin, the concentration of nickel in the early phase group was approximately equal to that in the late phase group. The curve of the late phase group was flat, which means that the nickel element concentration was distributed uniformly by SR-μ-XRF. According to the XANES data for the 10% NiSO₄ metal salt solution, structural changes occurred in the skin model sample, indicating that nickel was not present in the Ni²⁺ aqueous ionic state but in the nickel-binding protein. Conclusions This study showed that the distribution of the nickel element concentration in ACD skin tissue was different between the early phase and late phase groups. The nickel element was not present in the Ni²⁺ aqueous ionic state but bound with certain proteins to form a complex in the stratum corneum in ACD model tissue.