We examined whether wiping acupuncture needles with cotton could remove Hepatitis C viruses (HCV) adhering to the needles. The needles were incubated in the serum from patients infected with HCV, then the needles were wiped with dry cotton or cotton soaked in 80% ethanol. RNA was extracted from these needles and the HCV genome was amplified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results indicated that the HCV genome was not detected when the needles were wiped with dry cotton. However, in one of two experiments, the HCV genome was detected after wiping the needles with cotton soaked in ethanol. We also examined the HCV contamination on the needles extracted from patients infected with HCV. The HCV genome was detected on extracted needles that were not wiped with cotton, but the genome was not found on needles wiped with cotton at the time of extraction. Therefore, wiping acupuncture needles with cotton might effectively remove HCV on the contaminated needles, but the viruses could not always be re-moved by simply wiping the needles with cotton.

Annual changes in age, age at onset, incidence of cases with steroiddependent intractable asthma, clinical asthma types and clinical efficacy rate were examined in 256 patients with chronic respiratory diseases, especially in 203 cases with bronchial asthma, admitted to Misasa Branch Hospital from 1982 to 1989.
1. A number of patients with respiratory diseases as well as asthmatics admitted each year, having spa therapy, increased from early year (1982) to later year (1989).
2. A number in cases with 40 year or over of age (also with 60 year or over of age) and cases with 40 year or over of age at onset showed a tendency to increase in later three years (1987-1989). A decreased frequency of cases with steroid-dependent asthma and of cases with type II (bronchiolar obstruction type) was observed in the later three years.
3. The clinical efficacy of spa therapy for bronchial asthma was Niger in the later three years than in early three years (1982-1984).