Objective:To seek out an effective treatment method for cervical disc extrusion and a significant laboratory examination.Methods: Randomized controlled trial was established into two groups: control group in which 50 subjects were given simple cervical traction and treatment group in which another 50 cases were given electro-acupuncture plus cervical traction. Results:The total effective rate was 92% in treatment group, obviously higher than 80% in control group; electromyogram examination showed decreased spontaneous potential. Conclusion:Electro-acupuncture plus cervical traction is an effective therapy for cervical disc extrusion and electromyogram can help clinical practice.

Objective To observe the changes of body fat content, bone mineral content and lean body weight before and after antiobesity acupuncture. Method Thirty seven cases of simple obese women were acupunctured by syndrome differentiation. Indicators related to obesity, body fat content, bone mineral content and lean body mass were measured and statistically analyzed before and after treatment. Results Acupuncture significantly improved objective indicators of obesity (BMI, waist, hip and arm circumference), reduced body fat content (whole body, upper limbs, torso), lowered lean body mass (body, upper and lower limbs), and had no effect on bone mineral content. Conclusion Acupuncture weight loss has no side effects of reducing bone mineral density, especially fits for patients with abdominal obesity (lipid-decrease and no lean-reduction on torso).

BACKGROUND:Studies have shown that signaling pathway plays an important role in the pathogenesis of knee osteoarthritis. OBJECTIVE: To elaborate the experimental progress of signal transduction pathway in knee osteoarthritis METHODS: A computer-based retrieval of PubMed, CNKI, VIP and Wanfang databases was performed to find the relevant literatures concerning experimental studies of signaling pathway in knee osteoarthritis. Al data were primarily screened to exclude repeated and irrelevant articles. Articles about association between knee osteoarthritis and signal pathway were included.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:A total of 51 articles were colected, including 20 in Chinese and 31 in English. It is concluded that the signal transduction pathway related to knee osteoarthritis is mainly concentrated in the two aspects: the proliferation of chondrocytes and the apoptosis of chondrocytes. The signal transduction pathways related to the proliferation of chondrocytes mainly include Notch signaling pathway and Wnt signaling pathway. SDF-1/CXCR4 signaling pathway, TLR4 signaling pathway, and MAPKs signaling pathway are associated with apoptosis in chondrocytes. Hippo-YAP signaling pathway and ERK1/2 signaling pathway have a double role in the regulation of proliferation and apoptosis of chondrocytes.

OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical efficacy on knee osteoarthritis (KOA) at the early and middle stage between electroacupuncture (EA) and meloxicam.

METHODSNinety patients of KOA at the early and middle stage were randomized into an EA group and a meloxicam group, 45 cases in each one. In the EA group, EA was applied to Dubi (ST 35), Neixiyan (EX-LE 4), Liangqiu (ST 34), Heding (EX-LE 2), Xuehai (SP 10), Yan- glingquan (GB 34) and Zusanli (ST 36); the needles were retained for 20 min and EA was applied once every two days. In the meloxicam group, the meloxicam tablets were prescribed for oral administration, 7. 5 mg, once a day. The treatment lasted for 6 weeks in the two groups. The Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score, rectus femoris muscle tension, the 8-foot walking test and 5-time sit-to-stand test were adopted to observe and compare the effects in the two groups.

RESULTSAfter treatment, every item score in WOMAC was reduced after treatment (all P < 0.05), but the difference was not significant between the two groups (all P > 0.05). In the EA group, the rectus femoris tension after treatment was reduced as compared with that before treatment (P < 0.05) and the reducing result was much more apparent as compared with that in the meloxicam group (P < 0.05). For the 8-foot walking test and 5-time sit-to-stand test, the time was shortened after treatment in the two groups (all P < 0.05) and the result in the EA group was much more obvious than that in the meloxicam group (both P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONBoth EA and meloxicam are effective in the treatment of KOA at the early and middle stage. EA improves rectus femoris tension and recovers the internal mechanics balance and the efficacy is better than that of meloxicam.

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Aged ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteoarthritis, Knee ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Thiazines ; therapeutic use ; Thiazoles ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND:Studies have shown that the non-surgical therapy for knee osteoarthritis is exactly effective, but there is a lack of scientific and rational evaluation system. OBJECTIVE:To review the evaluation methods of non-surgical therapy for knee osteoarthritis in recent 5 years. METHODS:A computer-based retrieval of PubMed, WOK, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang databases was performed to find literature related to the evaluation methods of non-surgical therapy for knee osteoarthritis. Al data were primarily screened to exclude irrelevant literature. Those literatures about the evaluation methods of non-surgical therapy for knee osteoarthritis were included. Repetitive studies and untypical reports were excluded. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Total y 42 articles were col ected, including 28 in Chinese and 14 in English. The analysis results showed that the non-surgical treatment for knee osteoarthritis can improve knee function and the quality of life in patients, and have an exact effect and a good economic benefit. Therefore, exploring a scientific and reasonable evaluation method to guide the choice of clinical treatment for knee osteoarthritis is greatly significant, which can improve the efficacy of non-surgical therapy for knee osteoarthritis. Scale-based evaluation method is simple and practical, but the presence of a single scale has a lack of objectivity. The method of biomechanics or imaging has the advantages of objective, highly reliable, accurate, non-invasive and so on. In the future therapeutic evaluation system, the combination of subjective scale observation and objective indicators should be more recommended, and the evaluation methods of non-surgical therapy for knee osteoarthritis should be selected appropriately based on the difference of clinical therapy and effect.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of warm needling moxibustion on body mass, knee cartilage andmorphology in rats with knee osteoarthritis (KOA).

METHODSForty SD rats were randomly divided into a normalgroup, a model group, a medication group and a warm needling group, 10 rats in each one. Except the normalgroup, the rats in the remaining three groups were injected with papain to establish the model of KOA. After themodeling, rats in the model group did not receive any treatment; rats in the warm needling group were treated withwarm needling moxibustion at bilateral "Xiqian"; rats in the medication group were treated with intragastric administration of meloxicam; rats in the normal group were treated with 0. 9% NaCl solution (identical dose as medication group) and immobilized as the warm needling group. The treatment was given once a day for consecutive20 days. The body mass, scale of knee cartilage and morphological changes were observed in each group after'treatment.

RESULTSThe increasing of body mass in the medication group and warm needling group was faster than!that in the model group, but slower than that in the normal group (all P<0. 05); the difference between medication group and warm needling group was not statistically significant (P>0. 05). The scale of knee cartilage in thewarm needling group and medication group was significantly lower than that in the model group (both P<0. 05),while the scale in the warm needling group was lower than that in the medication group (P<. 05). Regarding theknee morphology under micro-CT, the relief of knee degeneration and improvement of knee recovery in the warm needlinggroup were superior to those in the medication group.

CONCLUSIONThe warm needling moxibustion could effectively reduce the knee pain, improve the recovery of knee cartilage, which is a safe and effective treatment.

Acupuncture Points ; Animals ; Cartilage ; anatomy & histology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; anatomy & histology ; Male ; Moxibustion ; Osteoarthritis, Knee ; therapy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Treatment Outcome

Due to factors such as an aging population, the Hospital Authority(HA) of Hong Kong is facing a contradiction between limited health resource supply and continuously increasing demand. In order to effectively address challenges, the HA prompted three measures to bridging the demand-supply gap. The HA relied on its management system advantages to continuously increase its capital construction to enhance the service capacity of public health institutions; transformed service delivery mode so as to improve the experience, quality, and efficiency of service delivery; established cooperation with private service providers and communities to shunt population health demand. The practices of HA can provide reference for public hospitals and their sponsors in other regions of China.

Objective To explore the value of methylation of SDC2 and SFRP2 genes promoter in fecal DNA for colorectal cancer ( CRC) screening. Methods All stool samples were enrolled from Changhai Hospital of Naval Medical University, the Tenth People' s Hospital of Tongji University and the Seventh Medical Center of Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital. A total of 500 stool samples collected from March 2018 to December 2018 were allocated to CRC group ( 132 CRCs ) , adenoma group ( 38 advanced adenomas), healthy group (152 healthy individuals), interferential group (178 cases of benign colorectal disease or other non-colorectal tumors) and negative group (330 cases composed of healthy group and interferential group ) . The promoter methylation of fecal SDC2 and SFRP2 genes was detected by methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and compared with single gene methylation and the fecal immunochemical tests ( FIT) to evaluate its sensitivity and specificity. Results The stool sample analysis showed that the sensitivity of combined detection of SDC2 and SFRP2 in CRC group was 97. 73％ ( 129/132 ) , which was significantly higher than those of the single gene SDC2 test [ 70. 45％ ( 93/132) , P=0. 000] , single SFRP2 test [81. 82％ (108/132), P=0. 000] and FIT [69. 70％ (92/132), P=0. 000]. In adenoma group, the sensitivity of combined detection of SDC2 and SFRP2 was 57. 89％ (22/38), which was significantly higher than those of the single gene SDC2 test [ 15. 79％ ( 6/38 ) , P= 0. 000 ] and FIT [ 21. 05％ ( 8/38 ) , P=0. 021] , with no significant difference compared with that of SFRP2 test [ 47. 37％ ( 18/38) , P=0. 358] . In healthy group, the specificity of combined detection of SDC2 and SFRP2 was 98. 68％ (150/152), with no significant difference compared with those of single gene SDC2 test [ 100. 00％( 152/152) , P=0. 156] , single SFRP2 test [98. 68％ (150/152), P=1. 000] or FIT [95. 39％ (145/152), P=0. 091]. Specificities of combined detection of two genes in interferential and negative groups were 90. 45％ ( 161/178) and 94. 24％( 311/330) , which were significantly higher than 73. 03％( 130/178, P=0. 000) and 83. 33％( 275/330, P=0. 000) of FIT, respectively. Conclusion The combined detection test of methylation of SDC2 and SFRP2 is superior to single gene test, whose sensitivity of CRC and aggressive adenoma and specificity of distinguishing benign and malignant lesions are higher than FIT, which has potential application value.

Oligodontia is the congenital absence of six or more teeth and comprises the more severe forms of tooth agenesis. Many genes have been implicated in the etiology of tooth agenesis, which is highly variable in its clinical presentation. The purpose of this study was to identify associations between genetic mutations and clinical features of oligodontia patients. An online systematic search of papers published from January 1992 to June 2021 identified 381 oligodontia cases meeting the eligibility criteria of causative gene mutation, phenotype description, and radiographic records. Additionally, ten families with oligodontia were recruited and their genetic etiologies were determined by whole-exome sequence analyses. We identified a novel mutation in WNT10A (c.99_105dup) and eight previously reported mutations in WNT10A (c.433 G > A; c.682 T > A; c.318 C > G; c.511.C > T; c.321 C > A), EDAR (c.581 C > T), and LRP6 (c.1003 C > T, c.2747 G > T). Collectively, 20 different causative genes were implicated among those 393 cases with oligodontia. For each causative gene, the mean number of missing teeth per case and the frequency of teeth missing at each position were calculated. Genotype-phenotype correlation analysis indicated that molars agenesis is more likely linked to PAX9 mutations, mandibular first premolar agenesis is least associated with PAX9 mutations. Mandibular incisors and maxillary lateral incisor agenesis are most closely linked to EDA mutations.
Humans ; Phenotype ; Wnt Proteins