OBJECTIVETo summarize the main electroacupuncture stimulation indexes used in clinical treatment and experimental study on sciatica, and to investigate the optimal stimulation index for sciatica treatment with electroacupuncture.

METHODSThe data was obtained on line from the computerized general and specialized databases such as CBM, VIP, CNKI, and MEDLINE. Data analysis was focused on the different effects of electroacupuncture with different stimulation indexes.

RESULTS(Clinical research suggested that the commonly used electroacupuncture stimulation indexes included frequency of 1-20 Hz, electric current of 0.2-0.8 mA, continuous and dilatational waveform. The intensity of stimulation was endurable for patients. (2) The frequency of electroacupuncture used for animal experimental research was mainly concentrated among 2-20 Hz, which 2 Hz and 5 Hz had better effects for sciatica treatment with electroacupuncture. The scale of electric current was 0. 4-10 mA with intermittent waveform. The intensity of stimulation was decided by a visible muscle contraction occurred during the acupuncture.

CONCLUSIONDifferent kinds of electroacupuncture stimulation indexes have different effects on the treatment of sciatica. Therefore, it is still needed the more evidence from higher quality clinical trials to investigate the optimal electroacupuncture stimulation indexes on the treatment of sciatica.

Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Muscle Contraction ; Sciatica ; physiopathology ; therapy

Objective To investigate the association between genetic polymorphisms of ERCCl-C8092A and susceptibility to liver cancer, as well as the gene-environmental interaction on the etiology of liver cancer in Fuzhou. Methods A case-control study was conducted to collect the information on environmental exposure while genetic polymorphism of ERCC1 was analyzed by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. General relative risk regression models were further applied to fit the interaction between genetic polymorphisms of ERCC1-C8092A and the environmental factors of liver cancer. Results ERCC1-C8092A variant genotypes were associated with significant increasing risk of liver cancer adjusted odds ratio (OR= 3.789,95%CI:2.792-5.142 ), compared to the wild-type homozygote. Data from the analysis of interaction showed that genetic polymorphism of ERCC1-8092A appeared superadditive interaction with drinking pond-ditch or with hepatitis B, and super-multiplicative interaction with eating moldy food. Conclusion The point mutation in ERCC1-8092A was possibly susceptible to liver cancer, and related synergistically with other risk factors in hepatocelluar carcinogenesis in Fuzhou.

Objective To report a case of foot hyalohyphomycosis due to Fusarium subglutinans. Methods Medical history was collected and physical examination performed for this patient.Biopsy samples were obtained from the inner side of right ankle of this patient and subjected to pathological examination. Discharge was collected from the lesions for direct microscopic examination and culture.Results A 72-year-old woman presented with an ulcer on the right foot for 3 years.Physical examination disclosed an ulcer,measuring 3 cm x 1.5 cm,with a moist surface and obvious tenderness,at the inner side of the right ankle.Proliferation of dusky-red granulomatous tissue was observed at the base of the ulcer.Pathological examination revealed necrotic granulomatous tissue and slender,septate and hyaline hypha-like structure in the superficial dermis with scattered infiltration of inflammatory cells.PAS staining showed sausage-like hypha and scattered orbicular-ovate spores.Microscopic examination of lesional discharge exhibited septate, branching and hyaline hypha.The isolated fungus was identified as Fusarium subglutinans by culture,and appeared to be highly sensitive to terbinafine,nystatin and amphotericin B.The lesion completely healed after 2 months of treatment with oral terbinafine (0.25 g,twice a day).Conclusions This is a case of foot hyalohyphomycosis due to Fusarium subglutinans,and terbinafine is effective for this condition.

OBJECTIVETo promote a new kind of alternative needle of filiform-fire needle with fire needle.

METHODSThe common three-headed fire needle, thick fire needle, less-thick fire needle, fine fire needle, single-filiform needle and three-filiform-needle were used by 20 medical staffs, and the time of heating needles was recorded. The advantages of using filiform needles compared with common fire needles were evaluated.

RESULTSThe time of heating single and three-filiform needles was shorter than the other four common fire needles (all P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONFiliform needle is better than the common fire needle in terms of production process,materials, and heating time, etc. Therefore, filiform needles can replace common fire needles for pricking.

Acupuncture Therapy ; instrumentation ; Adult ; Equipment Design ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Needles ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDThe risk of radial artery occlusion (RAO) needs particular attention in transradial intervention (TRI). Therefore, reducing vascular occlusion has an important clinical significance. The aim of this study was to determine the appropriate puncture site during TRI through comparing the occurrence of RAO between the different puncture sites to reduce the occurrence of RAO after TRI.

METHODSWe prospectively assessed the occurrence of RAO in 606 consecutive patients undergoing TRI. Artery occlusion was evaluated with Doppler ultrasound in 2 days and 1 year after the intervention. Risk factors for RAO were evaluated using a multivariate model analysis.

RESULTSOf the 606 patients, the RAO occurred in 56 patients. Compared with TRI at 2-5 cm away from the radius styloid process, the odds ratio (OR) for occlusion risk at 0 cm and 1 cm were 9.65 (P = 0.033) and 8.90 (P = 0.040), respectively. The RAO occurred in the ratio of the arterial diameter to the sheath diameter ≤1 (OR = 2.45, P = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONDistal puncture sites (0-1 cm away from the radius styloid process) can lead to a higher rate of RAO.

TRIAL REGISTRATIONClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01979627; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01979627?term = NCT01979627 and rank = 1.

Aged ; Arterial Occlusive Diseases ; etiology ; Cardiac Catheterization ; adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Punctures ; Radial Artery

Objective: Sex differences have been observed in many aspects of schizophrenia, including cognitive deficits. Despite extensive research into the relationship between metabolic factors and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, few studies have explored the potential sex difference in their association. Methods: We recruited 358 schizophrenia patients and 231 healthy controls. The participants underwent measurements of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose. Metabolic risk factors included abdominal obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia. A collection of these metabolic risk factors has been defined as metabolic syndrome. These diagnoses were based on the criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program’s Adult Treatment Panel III. Cognitive performance was measured using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). A descriptive analysis, difference analysis, and linear regression model were used to identify the metabolic risk factors for cognitive function in schizophrenia. Results: Our findings revealed sex differences in the rate of abdominal obesity and hypertension in schizophrenic patients. Additionally, we observed sex differences in the association between metabolic risk factors and cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. Specifically, hyperglycemia was associated with the immediate memory index score of RBANS in male patients, while dyslipidemia was associated with language, attention, delayed memory index scores, and RBANS total score in female patients. Conclusion Our results suggest that sex should be considered when evaluating the impact of metabolic disorders on the cognitive function of schizophrenic patients. Moreover, our study identifies hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia as potential targets for precise treatment by sex stratification, which could benefit the improvement of cognitive impairment in schizophrenic patients.

Objective To analyze the cause, prevention and treatment of complications related to endovascular embolotherapy for ruptured intracranial aneurysms. Methods Sixty-eight patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysms received early endovascular embolization. Intraoperatively, artery spasm was relieved by papaverine infusion through microcatheter or balloon dilatation; parent artery occlusion by coils was treated by anticoagulation or antiplatelet treatment; ruptured aneurysms were embolized using mixed heparin; arterial thrombosis after embolization was ameliorated by the micro-catheter infusion of r-tPA thrombolytic. Results In the 68 cases, 8 cases suffered from complications, accounting for 11.77%. Among them, 1 case of extensive spasm of middle cerebral artery developed cerebral infarction and mild hemiplegia; 2 cases of localized spasm were improved well without sequelae; 1 case in which partial coils entered middle cerebral artery achieved a satisfied therapeutic outcome without infarction; 1 case with cerebral infarction due to coil dropping and 1 case with aneurysm rupture during operation received secondary embolotherapy without adverse consequences; one week after operation, 1 case died from aneurysm re-rupture; 1 case had hemiplegia owing to massive cerebral infarction. Conclusions It will do much benefit to secure the success of the operation by displaying the location, shape and size of the aneurysms as well as the relationship with the parent artery. Moreover, the proper choice of coils and well mastering of operative skills can decrease the incidence of complications, and adequate and prompt treatment of intraoperative complications can improve the prognosis of the patients obviously.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate four therapeutic measures on acute tetramethylene disulphotetramine (TETS) poisoning and the effects of it on intelligence of children.

METHODSAll 86 patients of acute TETS poisoning were randomly divided into 4 groups (the control group, sodium valproate group, sodium dimercaptopropane sulfonate group and the hemoperfusion group). The therapeutic effects were observed after the arranged treatment was administrated. According to age, residence, sex, education and domestic economy, 30 children were matched by 1:1 with children of TETS poisoning.

RESULTSThe termination time of seizure, doses of diazepam, mental symptoms and the continual time of mental symptoms were not significantly different among these three groups. After hemoperfusion, the seizure of patients was terminated or the frequency was obviously decreased, but the level of TETS in blood was not reduced. The average scores of full intelligence quotient (FIQ), the verbal intelligence quotient (VIQ) and the performance intelligence quotient (PIQ) of children in poisoning group were 9.1, 8.8 and 7.7 less than the controls. The average scores of FIQ of children with bad state were 15 less than the controls.

CONCLUSIONTherapeutic effects of sodium valproate and sodium dimercaptopropane sulfonate on acute TETS poisoning should be not better than using diazepam and sodium phenobarbital. Therapeutic effects of hemoperfusion on TETS poisoning is good. TETS poisoning should have a great influence on intelligence of children.

Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Anticonvulsants ; therapeutic use ; Antidotes ; therapeutic use ; Bridged-Ring Compounds ; poisoning ; Child ; Female ; Hemoperfusion ; methods ; Humans ; Intelligence ; drug effects ; Intelligence Tests ; Male ; Poisoning ; complications ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Seizures ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Treatment Outcome ; Unithiol ; therapeutic use ; Valproic Acid ; therapeutic use ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of trastuzumab in combination with chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone in the first-line treatment of HER-2-positive advanced gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction cancer.

METHODSFifteen Chinese research centers are involved in the BO18255 (ToGA) study. Patients with gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction cancer were eligible for inclusion if their tumor showed overexpression of HER-2 protein by immunohistochemistry +++ or FISH-positive. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive a chemotherapy regimen consisting of capecitabine or 5-FU plus cisplatin or chemotherapy in combination with intravenous trastuzumab. The primary endpoint was overall survival.

RESULTSEighty-five Chinese patients were enrolled in this study, of whom 84 were included in the primary analysis: trastuzumab plus chemotherapy (FP/H) (n = 36) and chemotherapy alone (FP)(n = 48). The median follow-up was 15.2 months in the FP/H group and 14.2 months in the FP group. The median survival time was 12.6 months in the FP/H group compared with 9.7 months in the FP group [hazard ratio 0.72, 95%CI (0.40; 1.29)]. Grade 3/4 adverse events were higher in the FP/H(63.9%)than FP (47.9%) groups, including neutropenia, vomiting and nausea. Two mild cardiac adverse events occurred in the FP/H group. Severe adverse events occurred in 3 cases of both two groups, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSAddition of trastuzumab to chemotherapy is well tolerated and shows improved survival in Chinese patients with advanced gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction cancer. These results are consistent with the results of ToGA whole population trial. Trastuzumab in combination with chemotherapy can be considered as a new option for patients with HER-2-positive advanced gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction cancer.

Aged ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Capecitabine ; China ; Cisplatin ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Deoxycytidine ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; analogs & derivatives ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Esophagogastric Junction ; Female ; Fluorouracil ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; analogs & derivatives ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nausea ; chemically induced ; Neoplasm Staging ; Neutropenia ; chemically induced ; Receptor, ErbB-2 ; metabolism ; Remission Induction ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Survival Rate ; Trastuzumab ; Vomiting ; chemically induced

OBJECTIVETo compare efficacy differences between fire filiform needle combined with mild moxibustion and gabapentin combined with sham acupuncture for postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).

METHODSOne hundred cases of PHN were randomly divided into a needle group and a medicine group, 50 cases in each one. In the needle group, pricking method of fire filiform needle was given at the Ashi points, and then mild moxibustion was applied for 15 min. In the medicine group, the oral administration of gabapentin capsule and sham acupuncture at non-acupoints in the distal end of lesions were applied. The treatment was required for 21 days in both groups. The visual analogue score (VAS) was recorded before treatment and on the 1st day, 2nd day, 3rd day, 6th day, 9th day and 12th day of treatment. The most severity of pain within last 24 h, preset severity of pain, immediate analgesia effect and starting time of pain relief were observed, also the efficacy was assessed and improvement of symptoms was observed in the follow-up visit.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 94.0% (47/50) in the fire filiform needle group, which was superior to 86.0% (43/50) in the medicine group (P < 0.05). Compared with medicine group, the VAS of the most severity of pain within last 24 h was obviously reduced after the 2nd treatment in the fire filiform needle group while that of present severity of pain was relieved after the 1st treatment (both P < 0.05). The immediate analgesia effect in the fire filiform needle group was obviously superior to that in the medicine group in the first three times of treatment (all P < 0.05). The average time of pain relief was (3.91 +/- 0.82) days in the fire filiform needle group, which was significantly earlier to (6.53 +/- 1.13) days in the medicine group (P < 0.05). 26 cases were cured in the fire filiform needle group in the follow-up visit, which was superior to 2 cases in the medicine group (P < 0.05). The improvement of VAS, pain range and sleep quality in the needle group were also superior to those in the medicine group (all P < 0.05). The direct medical cost in the fire filiform needle group was (232.32 +/- 48.108) yuan, which was significantly lower than (466.00 +/- 41.09) yuan in the medicine group (P < 0.05). There was only one case of adverse effect in the medicine group during the treatment.

CONCLUSIONThe fire filiform needle combined with mild moxibustion could obviously relieve the pain in PHN patients, which has superior immediate analgesia effect and pain relieving time compared with gabapentin, which also has less adverse effects and cheap cost.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Aged ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Moxibustion ; Neuralgia, Postherpetic ; therapy ; Pain Measurement ; Treatment Outcome