Purpose The aim of this study is to define molecular sub-healthy status among individuals attending routine physical examination.Methods This study examined 8 blood tumor markers among 5 825 healthy individuals.Results (1) Differences in levels of tumor markers were observed between males and females.(2) Elevated CA72-4 levels were seen in 16.05％ of individuals in both sexes.(3) More males had elevated levels of CEA and CYFRA21-1.Among the individuals with elevated levels of tumor markers,most were clustered in the prime age group of 41 to 50 years.Conclusion This is the first large-sample survey in healthy Han population in Xinjiang,which found elevated levels of all 8 markers tested with varying rates.Accordingly,this study proposes for the first time a concept of molecular sub-healthy status and a strategy of early tumor screening at molecular level.The molecular sub-healthy status may be an early warning sign for potential cancers,which should draw attention by preventive public health policies.

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of warm needling moxibustion plus flash cupping for remission-stage peripheral facial paralysis (FP) due to wind-cold.
Methods:Fifty eligible patients were randomized into a warm needling moxibustion group and an acupuncture-cupping group, 25 cases in each group. The warm needling moxibustion group was intervened by acupuncture at Fengchi (GB 20), Yangbai (GB 14) towards Yuyao (EX-HN 4), Xiaguan (ST 7), Dicang (ST 4) towards Jiache (ST 6), Quanliao (SI 18), and Hegu (LI 4), plus warm needling moxibustion at Quanliao (SI 18); the acupuncture-cupping group received flash cupping on the affected side in addition to the intervention given to the warm needling moxibustion group. The two groups were both treated once a day, 10 times as a treatment course, for 3 courses in total. The House-Brackmann (H-B) facial nerve grading system was observed before and after the intervention to evaluate the facial nerve function in the two groups, and the therapeutic efficacies were also compared between the two groups.
Results:The two treatment protocols both can promote the recovery of facial nerve function. The total effective rate was 92.0% in the acupuncture-cupping group versus 72.0% in the warm needling moxibustion group, and the between-group difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).
Conclusion:Warm needling moxibustion plus flash cupping can produce a more significant efficacy than dry warm needling moxibustion in treating remission-stage peripheral FP due to wind-cold.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most common malignant tumors of the head and neck region. NPC has the characteristics of insidious onset, strong invasiveness and early lymph node metastasis. A variety of signaling pathways play a role in the invasion and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, but the specific mechanism has not yet been fully elucidated. Recent studies have found that DNA methylation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma-related genes can affect the invasion and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma through a variety of signaling pathways including Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways. This article reviews the specific mechanism of DNA methylation affecting the invasion and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma through the above-mentioned signaling pathways.

OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical efficacy differences among acupuncture combined with western medicine, acupuncture alone and western medicine alone for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS).

METHODSNinety patients were randomly assigned into a needle-medicine group, an acupuncture group and a western medicine group, 30 patients in each group. The patients in the needle-medicine group were treated with acupuncture combined with western medicine; the scalp points included Shenting (GV 24), Xinhui (GV 22), Qianding (GV 21), Baihui (GV 20), Chengguang (BL 6), Tongtian (BL 7), etc. The body points were Zhongji (CV 3), Guanyuan (CV 4), Pangguangshu (BL 28), Ciliao (BL 32), etc. The acupuncture was given 30 min per treatment, once a day. Besides, oral administration of 0.2g levofloxacin (twice per day) and 0.2 mg tamsulosin (once a day) was applied. The patients in the acupuncture group and western medicine group were treated by acupuncture and western medicine respectively. 12-d treatment was taken as one session, and totally 2 sessions were given. The clinical efficacy of the three groups after treatment was compared as well as the National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) total score and pain score, self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self-rating depression scale (SDS) before and after treatment.

RESULTSDuring the trial two patients dropped out, as a result, 30 patients in the needle-medicine group, 29 patients in the acupuncture group and 29 patients in the western medicine group were included in the analysis. After treatment, 21 patients were cured, 6 patients were markedly effective, 2 patients were effective and 1 patient failed in the needle-medicine group;12 patients were cured, 10 patients were markedly effective, 5 patients were effective and 2 patients failed in the acupuncture group; 11 patients were cured, 12 patients were markedly effective, 4 patients were effective and 2 patients failed in the medicine group; the efficacy in the needle-medicine group was superior to those in the acupuncture group and medicine group (both<0.05). Each score was improved after treatment in each group (all<0.01); the total score of NIH-CPSI as well as SAS and SDS scores in the needle-medicine group were superior to those in the acupuncture group and medicine group (<0.05,<0.01); the pain scores of NIH-CPSI in needle-medicine group and acupuncture group were superior to that in the medicine group (<0.05,<0.01), but the difference between the needle-medicine group and acupuncture group was not significant (>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe efficacy of acupuncture combined with western medicine for CP/CPPS is superior to that of acupuncture alone and western medicine alone, which could improve the symptom of prostatitis as well as status of anxiety and depression.