OBJECTIVEBy using questionnaire method to understand the evaluation regarding cost-effectiveness of acupuncture for migraine in both doctors and patients.

METHODSBy using questionnaire method, questionnaires for doctors and patients were made respectively; by using network platform, two sets of questionnaires were publicly released, which were filled in online. The results were real-time background collected and then analyzed.

RESULTSTotally 696 effective questionnaires for patients and 114 questionnaires for doctors were collected. The results indicated that (1)the direct cost (including treatment fee and material fee) for preventive treatment of migraine was 109 yuan per time in regular acupuncture, 152 yuan per time in regular acupuncture + electroacupuncture (EA) and 238 yuan per time in acupoint catgut embedding. The travelling expense was 42 yuan per time within the city and 193 yuan per time between cities. The indirect cost included cost for loss of working time (208 yuan per time), cost for treatment time (acupoint catgut embedding: 10 to 30 min per time, once one to three weeks; the remaining two treatments: 20 to 50 min per time, once to 5 times every week), time cost for arriving and departing hospital (1 to 3 hours per time within the city and 4 hours per time between cities). From the angle of treatment course, acupoint catgut embedding reduced the treatment frequency, leading to a lower total cost. (2)A mong the reasons to select different acupuncture methods to treat migraine, the results of patient questionnaire indicated that the focus in the patients who selected acupoint catgut embedding was different from that in the patients who selected two other treatments. The main advantage of acupoint catgut embedding was superior and lasting efficacy with low cost. The results of doctor questionnaire indicated the main reason to select acupoint catgut embedding was "lasting efficacy after single treatment" (87. 5%) and "lower frequency of treatment" (75. 0%). (3) The main reason to obstruct the popularization of acupoint catgut embedding was this method was not widely known.

CONCLUSIONThe acupoint catgut embedding is one ideal preventive treatment for migraine, which has higher cost-effectiveness, however, currently it is not widely applied. In future advertisement and training program should be strengthened to perform targeted popularization of acupoint catgut embedding for migraine.

Acupuncture Therapy ; economics ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Female ; Health Care Costs ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Migraine Disorders ; economics ; psychology ; therapy ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult

Xiyanping is used to treat infectious diseases with antibiotics in clinic. The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanism of Xiyanping through studying the effect of the combination of Xiyanping with Cefazolin on the chemotaxis and phagocytic function of peripheral blood neutrophils in mice. Ten healthy mice were in control group. Forty healthy mice in experimental group were infected with staphylococcus aureus, and were randomly divided further into four groups, i. e. model group, Xiyanping group, Cefazolin group and combination group (Xiyanping with Cefazolin). Mice in the control group and model group were given normal saline (NS) through abdomen while those in other groups were given Xiyanping, Cefazolin, and Xiyanping with Cefazolin, respectively. The chemotaxis of peripheral blood neutrophils was detected with the transwell method, and the phagocytic function of peripheral blood neutrophils was analyzed with flow cytometry (FCM). In the present study, there was no significance on the chemotactic index of peripheral blood neutrophils in all the groups (P > 0.05). The actual phagocytotic rate and index of peripheral blood neutrophils in the blank group, Xiyanping group, and the combination group were significantly higher than those of the model group and Cefazolin group (P < 0.05). However, those were not significant in the blank group, Xiyanping group, and the combination group (P > 0.05) or between the model group and Cefazolin group (P> 0.05). Our results suggested the combination of Xiyanping and Cefazolin could enhance the therapeutic effect by improving the phagocytic function of peripheral blood neutrophils.
Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Cefazolin ; pharmacology ; Chemotaxis ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Mice ; Neutrophils ; cytology ; drug effects ; Phagocytosis ; Staphylococcal Infections ; immunology ; Staphylococcus aureus

UNLABELLEDObjective To explore the effects of sperm DNA integrity rate, acrosome integrity rate and acrosome reaction rate on the outcomes of rescue intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

METHODSThis retrospective analysis was conducted among 97 infertile couples receiving rescue ICSI due to failure of in vitro fertilization procedures in our Reproductive Medicine Center. Of these 97 women, 41 had clinical pregnancy and 56 did not, and the effects of sperm DNA integrity rate (estimated by DNA fragmentation index, DFI), acrosome integrity rate and acrosome reaction rate on rescue ICSI outcomes were analyzed.

RESULTSNo significant difference was found in paternal age, testosterone value, testicular volume, FSH, female patient' age or the number of eggs retrieved between the two groups (P>0.05), but the infertility years was significantly shorter in the pregnancy group than in the non-pregnancy group (P<0.05). The fertilization rate and cleavage rate were similar between the two groups (P>0.05), but the good embryo rate was significantly higher in the pregnancy group (P<0.05). The sperm DNA integrity or acrosome reaction rate did not differ significantly between the two groups (P>0.05), but the acrosome integrity rate was significantly higher in the pregnancy group (P<0.05). The sperm DNA integrity rate, acrosome integrity or acrosome reaction rate were not correlated with the fertilization rate, cleavage rate or good embryo rate (P>0.05). The pregnancy rate, twin and single fetus rates were 42.3%, 10.3% and 32.0% in this cohort after recue ICSI, respectively.

CONCLUSIONRescue ICSI is an effective treatment after failed in vitro fertilization procedure, and sperm acrosome integrity rate is associated with the outcome of rescue ICSI.

Acrosome ; pathology ; Acrosome Reaction ; DNA Fragmentation ; Female ; Fertilization ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; Infertility ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Retrospective Studies ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic

Esophageal cancer is the most common malignant tumors in the digestive system. The treatments include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy. In order to prolong the survival time and reduce the recurrence rate, most of the patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer were treated with combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy. There are many ways of concurrent chemoradiotherapy, together with the application of molecular targeting and immune drugs in esophageal cancer, there are different modes of combined therapy, which are of great significance to improve clinical efficacy and treatment compliance. This article reviews the progress of concurrent chemoradiotherapy for esophageal cancer in recent years.

Objective:To preliminarily observe the clinical efficacy of microwave hyperthermia combined with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and chemotherapy for patients with locally advanced gastric cancer.Methods:Forty patients who could not been operated or refused operation were enrolled in this clinical trial, who were confirmed as locally advanced proximal or distal gastric cancer by gastroscopy pathology and imaging. Radiotherapy was delivered by IMRT technology for 5 times per week with a total dose of 46 to 56 Gy (median dose of 50 Gy) in 25 to 28 fractions. Synchronous hyperthermia was given at 42 to 44℃ twice a week, 45 min/time. S-1 or capecitabine-based synchronous chemotherapy was performed, d1-14/3 weeks. The symptom remission rate, adverse reactions, objective remission rate (complete and partial remission) and survival were observed.Results:A total of 40 patients, aged between 56 and 83 years (median age of 71 years), were enrolled in this study. The male-to-female ratio was 7: 1. Among them, 38 cases (95%) showed symptom remission. The most common adverse reactions were grade 1-2 gastrointestinal reactions and leukopenia. The objective remission rate was 87.5%, the 2-year progression-free survival and overall survival rates were 68.6% and 70.5%, respectively.Conclusion:Preliminary findings demonstrate that microwave hyperthermia combined with chemoradiotherapy achieve satisfactory outcomes and yield tolerable toxicity in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer.

ObjectiveTo clarify the therapeutic effect of Huashi Baidu prescription on pneumonia in mice caused by influenza A （H1N1） virus and explore its mechanism based on the transcriptome. MethodA mouse influenza viral pneumonia model was built by intranasal infection with influenza A virus， and mice were continuously administered the drug for five days， so as to investigate the general condition， lung index， viral load， pathological morphology of lung tissue， survival time， and prolongation rate of survival time of mice and clarify the therapeutic effect of Huashi Baidu prescription on influenza viral pneumonia. Transcriptome technology was used to detect the differentially expressed genes in the lung tissue of mice in the model group and the normal group， as well as the Huashi Baidu prescription group and the model group， and the potential core target of the Huashi Baidu prescription for the treatment of influenza viral pneumonia was screened. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to verify the effect of Huashi Baidu prescription on the mRNA expression level of core target genes. ResultCompared with the normal group， the lung index and viral load in the lung tissue of the model group were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the high-dose group of Huashi Baidu prescription significantly prolonged the survival time of mice infected with influenza A virus （P<0.05） and significantly reduced the lung index value of mice （P<0.05） and the viral load of lung tissue. The high-dose， medium-dose， and low-dose groups of Huashi Baidu prescription could significantly reduce lung tissue inflammation， blood stasis， swelling， and other pathological changes in mice （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Transcriptome analysis of lung tissue showed that core genes were mainly enriched in the nuclear transcription factor-κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway， interleukin-17 （IL-17） signaling pathway， cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction， and other pathways after the intervention of Huashi Baidu prescription. TRAF6， NFKBIA， CCL2， CCL7， and CXCL2 were the top five node genes with combined score values. Real-time PCR validation showed that Huashi Baidu prescription significantly downregulated the mRNA expression of key genes TRAF6 and NFKBIA in the NF-κB signaling pathway， as well as chemokines CCL2， CCL7， and CXCL2 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionHuashi Baidu prescription has a therapeutic effect on influenza viral pneumonia， possibly by inhibiting the expression of key nodes TRAF6 and NFKBIA in the NF-κB signaling pathway and that of chemokines CCL2， CCL7， and CXCL2， reducing the recruitment of inflammatory cells and viral load， and exerting anti-influenza viral pneumonia effects.