BACKGROUND: The use of inserted sham acupuncture as a placebo in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is controversial, because it may produce specific effects that cause an underestimation of the effect of acupuncture treatment. OBJECTIVE: This systematic survey investigates the magnitude of insert-specific effects of sham acupuncture and whether they affect the estimation of acupuncture treatment effects. SEARCH STRATEGY: PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched to identify acupuncture RCTs from their inception until December 2022. INCLUSION CRITERIA: RCTs that evaluated the effects of acupuncture compared to sham acupuncture and no treatment. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: The total effect measured for an acupuncture treatment group in RCTs were divided into three components, including the natural history and/or regression to the mean effect (controlled for no-treatment group), the placebo effect, and the specific effect of acupuncture. The first two constituted the contextual effect of acupuncture, which is mimicked by a sham acupuncture treatment group. The proportion of acupuncture total effect size was considered to be 1. The proportion of natural history and/or regression to the mean effect (PNE) and proportional contextual effect (PCE) of included RCTs were pooled using meta-analyses with a random-effect model. The proportion of acupuncture placebo effect was the difference between PCE and PNE in RCTs with non-inserted sham acupuncture. The proportion of insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture (PIES) was obtained by subtracting the proportion of acupuncture placebo effect and PNE from PCE in RCTs with inserted sham acupuncture. The impact of PIES on the estimation of acupuncture's treatment effect was evaluated by quantifying the percentage of RCTs that the effect of outcome changed from no statistical difference to statistical difference after removing PIES in the included studies, and the impact of PIES was externally validated in other acupuncture RCTs with an inserted sham acupuncture group that were not used to calculate PIES. RESULTS: This analysis included 32 studies with 5492 patients. The overall PNE was 0.335 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.255-0.415) and the PCE of acupuncture was 0.639 (95% CI, 0.567-0.710) of acupuncture's total effect. The proportional contribution of the placebo effect to acupuncture's total effect was 0.191, and the PIES was 0.189. When we modeled the exclusion of the insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture, the acupuncture treatment effect changed from no difference to a significant difference in 45.45% of the included RCTs, and in 40.91% of the external validated RCTs. CONCLUSION The insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture in RCTs represents 18.90% of acupuncture's total effect and significantly affects the evaluation of the acupuncture treatment effect. More than 40% of RCTs that used inserted sham acupuncture would draw different conclusions if the PIES had been controlled for. Considering the impact of the insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture, caution should be taken when using inserted sham acupuncture placebos in RCTs. Please cite this article as: Luo XC, Liu JL, Yao MH, Chen YM, Fan AY, Liang FR, Zhao JP, Zhao L, Zhou X, Zhong XY, Yang JH, Li B, Zhang Y, Sun X, Li L. Specific effect of inserted sham acupuncture and its impact on the estimation of acupuncture treatment effect in randomized controlled trials: A systematic survey. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(6):630-640.
Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Humans ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Placebo Effect ; Placebos ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To explore the effect of management model of clinical pharmacists participating in multidisciplinary collaborative diagnosis and treatment(MDT)for new anti-tumor drugs in the national medical insurance drug negotiation(hereinafter referred to as"national negotiation"),including efficacy,safe-ty,economy and rationality.Methods The medical records of 326 cases using novel anti-tumor drugs by na-tional negotiation and conforming to the including and excluding standards in this hospital from July 2018 to June 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into the MDT group(n=122)and non-MDT group(n=204).The patients diagnosed as non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)in the two groups were extracted and defined as the MDT-NSCLC subgroup(n=41)and non-MDT-NSCLC subgroup(n=77).The progression-free survival(PFS),overall survival(OS),disease control rate(DCR)and the indexes such as survival quality and medical quality control were compared between the groups.Results The median PFS in the two groups was 12.7 months and 8.0 months,the median OS was 75.2 months and 56.3 months,DCR was 96.72％and 81.86％respectively,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).The COX multivariate regression analysis indicated that the HR value of clinical pharmacists participating in MDT was higher than the other influencing factors.The median PFS time in the MDT-NSCLC subgroup and non-MDT-NSCLC subgroup was 10.5 months and 6.7 months,DCR was 97.30％and 75.64％respectively,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05),the median OS time was 55.1 months and 40.3 months respectively,and the difference was statistically significant(P＞0.05).The COX multivariate regression anal-ysis indicated that the HR value with clinical pharmacists participating in MDT was higher than the other in-fluencing factors;The adverse reaction occurrence rate in the MDT group and non-MDT group was 45.9％and 58.3％respectively,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The KPS score after treatment in the MDT group was higher than that in the non-MDT group,and the difference was statistically significant;in the aspect of medical quality control,the average drug proportion in the MDT group and non-MDT group was 63.93％and 64.54％respectively,the rational drug rate of comments on prescription was 98.36％and 88.73％respectively,the patient satisfaction average value was 90.69 points and 87.36 points respectively and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion Clinical pharmacists participating in MDT related to novel anti-tumor drugs by national negotiation is beneficial to improve the therapeutic effects,living quality and patient satisfaction,also benefit to management and control of off-label drug use and medical quality control indexes.

【Objective】 To explore the effectiveness of intraovarian injection of platelet-rich plasma(PRP) in the treatment of patients with diminished ovarian reserve(DOR), aiming to provide new diagnostic and therapeutic ideas for the treatment. 【Methods】 A total of 22 patients with DOR who underwent autologous PRP ovarian injection at the Reproductive Medical and Genetic Center of Qinzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital from January 2021 to December 2023 were collected. Among them, 12 patients underwent assisted reproductive technology for pregnancy. The patient′s anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), antral follicle count (AFC), basal follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), basal luteinizing hormone (LH) and basal estradiol (E2) levels were observed. 【Results】 The levels of AMH, AFC, basal FSH, basal LH and basal E2 in 22 patients improved after treatment compared with those before treatment. Of the 12 patients who received assisted reproduction, 2 had IVF cycle canceled due to poor ovarian reaction. Ten patients obtained embryos, of which 5 obtained high-quality embryos. 【Conclusion】 Intraovarian injection of autologous PRP can effectively improve ovarian reserve function in patients with DOR.

This article focuses on a case study of sitosterolemia in a child who initially presented with hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia. Sitosterolemia is a rare autosomal recessive lipid metabolism disorder, difficult to diagnose due to its non-typical clinical manifestations. The 8-year-old patient was initially misdiagnosed with pyruvate kinase deficiency. Comprehensive biochemical and molecular biology analyses, including gene sequencing, eventually led to the correct diagnosis of sitosterolemia. This case highlights the complexity and diagnostic challenges of sitosterolemia, emphasizing the need for increased awareness and accurate diagnosis in patients presenting with similar symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: To carry out genetic testing for a child with Marfan syndrome (MFS) and explore its genotype-phenotype correlation. METHODS: Peripheral blood samples of the child and his parents were collected for the extraction of genomic DNA and subjected to whole exome sequencing (WES). Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing. Functional impact of the variant was predicted by using bioinformatic software. RESULTS: The child, a 13-year-old male, has featured Marfanoid habitus, with arm span exceeding his height, tapering fingers and toes, pectus excavatum and scoliosis, but absence of typical cardiovascular system diseases such as aortic dilation, thoracic-abdominal aortic aneurysm, mitral valve prolapse, and lens dislocation. The child has harbored a novel splice site variant c.7383_7413del (p. N2461Kfs*211) of the FBN1 gene, which was not found in his parents and younger brother. The variant was unreported previously. CONCLUSION The novel variant of p. N2461Kfs*211 of the FBN1 gene probably underlay the MFS in this child. Above finding has enriched the genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of MFS.
Male ; Humans ; Marfan Syndrome/genetics* ; Fibrillin-1/genetics* ; Mutation ; Genotype ; Genetic Association Studies

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1, OMIM 160900) is a rare autosomal dominant hereditary disease. A case of DM1 patient with early onset diabetes and decreased muscle strength was treated in the Department of Endocrinology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University. The peripheral blood of the patient was collected to extract DNA for gene detection. It was found that the triple nucleotide CTG repeat in the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of the dystrophia myotonica protein kinase (DMPK) gene was more than 100 times, and the diagnosis of DM1 was clear. For diabetes patients with multiple system abnormalities such as muscle symptoms, attention should be paid to the screening of DM1, a rare disease.
Humans ; Myotonic Dystrophy/genetics* ; Abnormalities, Multiple ; Hospitals ; Universities ; Diabetes Mellitus

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection in the treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) in a real-world setting.Methods:This was a real-world ambispective cohort study (MOMENT study) (Chinese clinical trial registry number: ChiCTR2200062067). Clinical data were collected from 198 patients who received mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection as monotherapy or combination therapy at 37 hospitals from January 2022 to January 2023, including 166 patients in the retrospective cohort and 32 patients in the prospective cohort; 10 patients in the treatment-na?ve group and 188 patients in the relapsed/refractory group. Clinical characteristics, efficacy and adverse events were summarized, and the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed.Results:All 198 patients were treated with mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection for a median of 3 cycles (range 1-7 cycles); 28 cases were treated with mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection as monotherapy, and 170 cases were treated with the combination regimen. Among 188 relapsed/refractory patients, 45 cases (23.9%) were in complete remission (CR), 82 cases (43.6%) were in partial remission (PR), and 28 cases (14.9%) were in disease stabilization (SD), and 33 cases (17.6%) were in disease progression (PD), with an objective remission rate (ORR) of 67.6% (127/188). Among 10 treatment-na?ve patients, 4 cases (40.0%) were in CR, 5 cases (50.0%) were in PR, and 1 case (10.0%) was in PD, with an ORR of 90.0% (9/10). The median follow-up time was 2.9 months (95% CI 2.4-3.7 months), and the median PFS and OS of patients in relapsed/refractory and treatment-na?ve groups were not reached. In relapsed/refractory patients, the difference in ORR between patients with different number of treatment lines of mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection [ORR of the second-line, the third-line and ≥the forth-line treatment was 74.4% (67/90), 73.9% (34/46) and 50.0% (26/52)] was statistically significant ( P = 0.008). Of the 198 PTCL patients, 182 cases (91.9%) experienced at least 1 time of treatment-related adverse events, and the incidence rate of ≥grade 3 adverse events was 66.7% (132/198), which was mainly characterized by hematologic adverse events. The ≥ grade 3 hematologic adverse events mainly included decreased lymphocyte count, decreased neutrophil count, decreased white blood cell count, and anemia; non-hematologic adverse events were mostly grade 1-2, mainly including pigmentation disorders and upper respiratory tract infection. Conclusions:The use of mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome injection-containing regimen in the treatment of PTCL has definite efficacy and is well tolerated, and it is a new therapeutic option for PTCL patients.

Pulmonary blast injury has become the main type of trauma in modern warfare, characterized by externally mild injuries but internally severe injuries, rapid disease progression, and a high rate of early death. The injury is complicated in clinical practice, often with multiple and compound injuries. Currently, there is a lack of effective protective materials, accurate injury detection instrument and portable monitoring and transportation equipment, standardized clinical treatment guidelines in various medical centers, and evidence-based guidelines at home and abroad, resulting in a high mortality in clinlcal practice. Therefore, the Trauma Branch of Chinese Medical Association and the Editorial Committee of Chinese Journal of Trauma organized military and civilian experts in related fields such as thoracic surgery and traumatic surgery to jointly develop the Clinical treatment guideline for pulmonary blast injury ( version 2023) by combining evidence for effectiveness and clinical first-line treatment experience. This guideline provided 16 recommended opinions surrounding definition, characteristics, pre-hospital diagnosis and treatment, and in-hospital treatment of pulmonary blast injury, hoping to provide a basis for the clinical treatment in hospitals at different levels.

Objective:Congenital hyperinsulinemia is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by severe hypoglycemia due to dysregulated insulin secretion. Sixteen genes have been reported to be associated with congenital hyperinsulinemia. In this study, whole exome sequencing was performed on a patient with obesity, hyperinsulinemia, and postprandial hypoglycemia to further explore its genetic etiology.Methods:The clinical data and peripheral blood of a patient with hyperinsulinemia and his family members were collected. Genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood. Sanger sequencing and pedigree verification were performed on the pathogenic variants filtered by whole-exome sequencing. The function of the mutation sites was analyzed by bioinformatics software.Results:The proband presented with obesity, hyperinsulinemia, and postprandial hypoglycemia, but without exercise-induced hypoglycemia. A heterozygous SCL16A1 gene c. 1259A>G(p.K420R) mutation was identified in the proband. Co-segregated analysis showed that the c. 1259A>G mutation was also found in his father and brother, who had obesity and hyperinsulinemia, which was consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance. The mutation c. 1259A>G was predicted to be pathogenic by the MutationTaster, FATHMM-MKL, PolyPhen2, and CADD programs, and has not been reported in HGDM database yet, which was considered to be a novel mutation.Conclusion:This study reported a patient with hyperinsulinemia caused by a new mutation of SCL16A1 gene, which expanded our understanding of the pathogenic mutation spectrum of hyperinsulinemia.

Objective To investigate the regulatory effect of Bupi Yichang pill(BPYCP)on CD4+T cell subsets of ulcerative colitis(UC)mice.Methods Forty-eight C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 4 groups:the control group(n=10),the model group(DSS group,n=13),the model +BPYCP group(DSS+BPYCP group,n=13)and the model+ mesalazine(5-ASA)group(DSS+5-ASA group,n=12).The mouse UC model was induced by 2.5%dextrosan sulfate(DSS)solution.The DSS+BPYCP group and the DSS+5-ASA group were given BPYCP or 5-ASA for 2 weeks,respectively,and fecal viscosity and blood in stool were observed.The colon length was measured.Colonic mass index and unit colonic mass index were calculated.Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining was used to observe pathological changes of colon and to score the pathological tissue damage.The level of CD4+T cell subsets in mesenteric lymph nodes was detected by flow cytometry.The expression levels of cytokines interferon-γ(INF-γ),interleukin(IL-4),IL-17A,IL-10 and IL-21 secreted by CD4+T cell subsets in colon tissue were detected by ELISA.Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect colon tissue CD4+T cell subset nuclear transcription factors,mRNA expression levels of T-frame protein 21(T-bet),GatA-binding protein 3(GATA-3),retinoa-associated nuclear orphan receptor γt(RORγt),B cell lymphoma-6(Bcl-6)and Foxp3 in rats.Results Compared with the DSS group,the diarrhea and hematostoecium symptoms of UC mice in the DSS+BPYCP group and the DSS+5-ASA group were significantly improved,body weight and colon length of mice were increased,and colon mass,colon mass index and unit colon mass index were decreased(P＜0.05).The mucosal epithelium was more complete than that in the DSS group,and gland arrangement was more regular.The inflammatory cell infiltration was less,and the pathological tissue damage score was significantly decreased(P＜0.01).The proportion of Th2 cells in mesenteric lymph nodes was decreased,the proportion of Th17 cells and the level of IL-17A were decreased,and the mRNA levels of T-bet,GATA-3,RORγt and Bcl-6 in colon tissue were decreased(P＜0.05).In the DSS+BPYCP group,the proportion of Th1 cells decreased,the proportion of CD4+CD25+Treg cells,CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Treg cells and the level of IL-10 increased,and the proportion of CD4+CXCR5+Tfh cells and the level of IL-21 decreased.The level of Foxp3 mRNA increased(P＜0.05).The proportion of Th1 cells and the level of IFN-γ were decreased in the DSS+5-ASA group(P＜0.05).Conclusion BPYCP may alleviate UC by remodeling the homeostasis of CD4+T cell subpopulations.