OBJECTIVE: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) incorporates traditional diagnostic methods and several major treatment modalities including Chinese herbal medicine, Chinese patent medicine, and non-pharmacological methods such as acupuncture and tuina. Even though TCM is used daily by more than 70,000 healthcare facilities and over 700,000 clinical practitioners in China, there is a poor understanding of the extent to which TCM diagnostic methods are used, how different treatment modalities are deployed in general, and what major factors may affect the integration of TCM and Western medicine. This study aimed to fill this void in the literature. METHODS: In the 2021 National Healthcare Improvement Evaluation Survey, we included three questions gauging the perception and practices of TCM amongst physicians working in TCM-related facilities, investigating the frequency of their deployment of TCM diagnostic methods, and predominant TCM treatment methods. Our empirical analysis included descriptive statistics, intergroup chi-square analysis, and binary logistic regression to examine the association between different types of facilities and individual characteristics and TCM utilization patterns. RESULTS: A total of 7618 clinical physicians comprised our study sample. Among them, 84.27% have integrated TCM and Western medicine in their clinical practice, and 80.77% of TCM practitioners used the 4 diagnostic methods as a tool in their clinical practice. Chinese herbal medicine was the most widely utilized modality by Chinese TCM physicians (used by 88.49% of respondents), compared with the Chinese patent medicine and non-pharmacological TCM methods, which were used by 73.14%, and 69.39%, respectively. Herbal tea as an out-of-pocket health-maintenance intervention is also a notable practice, recommended by 29.43% of physicians. Significant variations exist across certain institutions, departments, and individual practitioners. CONCLUSION Given that most of the surveyed physicians integrated TCM with Western medicine in their clinical practices, the practice of "pure TCM" appears to be obsolete in China's tertiary healthcare institutions. Notably, remarkable variation exists in the use of different TCM modalities across institutions and among individuals, which might be related to and thus limited by the practitioners' experience. Future research focusing on the efficacy and safety of TCM interventions for specific diseases, the development of standardized clinical guidelines, and the enhancement of TCM education and training are called for to optimize TCM-Western medicine integration. Please cite this article as: Guo R, Zeng D, Zhao Q, Zhang XY, Zhang XK, Liu YL. How are different traditional Chinese medicine modalities deployed by clinical practitioners in China? Findings from a national survey. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(1): 36-45.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/statistics & numerical data* ; Humans ; China ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Female ; Male ; Physicians/statistics & numerical data* ; Practice Patterns, Physicians'/statistics & numerical data* ; Adult ; Middle Aged

Objective: To explore the current status of hyperopic reserve and its related factors among non-myopia preschool and primary school students aged 5 to 12 years in Guangdong Province, so as to provide a basis for formulating intervention strategies for the pre myopia stage of children. Methods: From October to December 2023, by using stratified cluster random sampling method, a survey on hyperopic reserve among preschool children and primary school students in Guangdong were conducted. And a total of 10 567 children from the senior class of kindergarten to the sixth grade of primary school who completed autorefraction measurements with and without cycloplegia and the questionnaire survey were included in the study. The prevalence characteristics of low hyperopic reserve among non-myopia children were analyzed, and multivariable Logistic regression was used to analyze the related factors. Results: The prevalence rate of low hyperopic reserve among 8 790 non-myopia children was 62.4%. The average spherical equivalent (SE) for children aged 5 to 12 years was 0.88 (0.25, 1.25)D, decreasing from 1.13 ( 0.75 , 1.50)D in senior kindergarten to -1.00 (-2.50, 0.38)D in sixth grade, with the difference was statistically significant ( H=2 475.3, P <0.01). Multivariable Logistic regression analysis, after adjusting for confounders including gender, urban and rural, and grade, revealed that parental myopia was a risk factor for low hyperopic reserve in the preschool stage (one parent with myopia: OR=1.62, 95%CI =1.35-1.93; both parents with myopia: OR=2.05, 95%CI = 1.66 -2.55); in the lower primary school stage, parental myopia (one parent with myopia: OR=1.46, 95%CI =1.27-1.68; both parents with myopia: OR=1.58, 95%CI =1.33-1.89), frequently or always reading or using electronic screens while lying down or on one s stomach ( OR=1.43, 95%CI =1.13-1.81), and never or occasionally maintaining a viewing distance of over 3 meters when watching TV/playing video games ( OR=1.34, 95%CI =1.04-1.72) were risk factors; in the higher primary school stage, failing to take a break every hour during near work ( OR=1.79, 95%CI =1.16-2.75) was a risk factor (all P <0.05). Conclusions The emmetropization of children aged 5-12 years in Guangdong Province is accelerated, and non-myopia children generally exhibit insufficient hyperopic reserve. The contributing factors for insufficient hyperopia reserve in non-myopia children vary across different educational stages, necessitating targeted precision interventions.

Aim To investigate the effect of exosomes derived from bone marrod-derived mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs)on dexamethasone-induced C2C12 muscular canal atrophy.Methods(1)C57BL/6J mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were isola-ted and cultured by whole bone marrow adhesion meth-od.(2)Extraction and identification of BMSCs EXOs were performed.(3)Myogenic differentiation of C2C12 cells was carried out.(4)The successfully differentia-ted myotubes were divided into the control group(cul-tured in 2％equine serum medium for 48 h),dexam-ethasone group(dexamethasone,DEX,10 μmol·L-1 concentration of DEX interfered with myotubes for 48 h),and exosomes group(exosomes,EXOs,interfered with myotubes for 48 h),exosome inhibitor group(exo-somes extracted from BMSCs after 10 μm GW4869 in-tervention,interfered with myotubes for 48 h).48 h later,the morphology and diameter of muscle tubes were observed and measured by microscope.Cell via-bility of each group was detected by CCK-8 method.The expression levels of atrogin-1 and MuRF-1,myo-genic differentiation antigen(MYOD)in each group were detected by Western blot.Results BMSCs were long spusiform,and BMSCS-EXOS showed a circular bilayer structure under transmission electron microsco-py,with a diameter of about 200 nm.CD9,CD63 and CD81 were highly expressed.Compared with the con-trol group,cell activity in DEX group decreased(P＜0.01),diameter of myotubes decreased(P＜0.01),expressions of atrogin-1(P＜0.05)and MuRF-1(P＜0.01)were significantly up-regulated,and expression of MYOD(P＜0.01)was significantly down-regula-ted.Compared with the DEX group,cell activity in the BMSCs-EXOs group increased(P＜0.01),diameter of myotubes increased(P＜0.01),expressions of atrogin-1(P＜0.05)and MuRF-1(P＜0.01)were signifi-cantly down-regulated,and expression of MYOD(P＜0.01)was up-regulated.Compared with the BMSCs-EXOs group,cell activity of the BMSCs-EXOs(GW4869)group decreased(P＜0.05),diameter of myotubes decreased(P＜0.01),expressions of atrog-in-1(P＜0.05)and MuRF-1(P＜0.05)were up-regulated,and expression of MYOD(P＜0.01)was down-regulated.Conclusion Bone marrow mesen-chymal stem cell-derived exosomes(BM-MSCs-EXOs)inhibit dexamethasone-induced C2C12 muscle tube at-rophy.

Acupuncture and moxibustion have their unique advantages in treating tumors,but the theoretical framework of acupuncture and moxibustion intervention in tumors needs to be improved,and the academic system still needs to be sorted out.In this paper,we try to describe the commonalities between Chinese medical theories and modern medical technologies in order to consolidate the theoretical foundation of acupuncture intervention in tumor.Specifically:① Acupuncture regulates immune function and energy metabolism,which is a specific form of tonifying the spleen and stomach to support positive qi.② Tumors belong to the broad definition of"sores and ulcers"in traditional Chinese medicine,which is a special kind of chronic inflammation,and acupuncture intervenes in tumors by intervening in inflammatory reactions from ulcers.③ Tumor is a"dynamic pseudo-organ"with yin and yang attributes and"life attributes".Acupuncture and moxibustion can regulate various cells and factors in the tumor environment in a multi-targeted way,so as to make it tend to the state of yin and yang equilibrium.④ Acupuncture and moxibustion have unique advantages in the reduction of toxicity,enhancement of efficacy,tonicity,rejuvenation,treatment of complications,etc.,which complement the allopathic therapies of modern medicine,and can help to realize survival with tumors.

This study evaluates the safety and early clinical outcomes of a novel 3D-printed titanium alloy "sleeve" component for revising fractured femoral stem prostheses in distal femoral megaprostheses without removing the fractured stem. The six patients included 2 males and 4 females, with an age range of 8-57 years. They were treated at Peking University People's Hospital between August 2020 and December 2023 and underwent revision surgery using the customized sleeve. A self-designed 3D-printed titanium alloy "sleeve" component was used for revision without removing the fractured stem, in the form of an external sleeve around the stem. Postoperative imaging was performed every three months to assess implant stability and bone integration. Functional outcomes were evaluated using the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS)-93 score. All six patients successfully completed the surgery and follow-up, with surgical durations ranging from 120 to 230 minutes and intraoperative blood loss ranging from 150 to 800 ml. The follow-up period ranged from 6 to 46 months. At three months postoperatively, X-ray and CT imaging showed cortical bridging between the host bone and the "sleeve" component. By six months, full integration of the host cortical bone with the metal trabecular interface of the "sleeve" was observed. At the final follow-up, MSTS-93 scores ranged from 26 to 29 points, with no complications such as wound healing issues, implant loosening, fracture, infection, or degenerative arthritis. These findings suggest that 3D-printed titanium "sleeve" provide an effective, bone-preserving solution for femoral stem revision in oncologic megaprostheses, leading to favorable early stability and functional recovery.

This study evaluates the safety and early clinical outcomes of a novel 3D-printed titanium alloy "sleeve" component for revising fractured femoral stem prostheses in distal femoral megaprostheses without removing the fractured stem. The six patients included 2 males and 4 females, with an age range of 8-57 years. They were treated at Peking University People's Hospital between August 2020 and December 2023 and underwent revision surgery using the customized sleeve. A self-designed 3D-printed titanium alloy "sleeve" component was used for revision without removing the fractured stem, in the form of an external sleeve around the stem. Postoperative imaging was performed every three months to assess implant stability and bone integration. Functional outcomes were evaluated using the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS)-93 score. All six patients successfully completed the surgery and follow-up, with surgical durations ranging from 120 to 230 minutes and intraoperative blood loss ranging from 150 to 800 ml. The follow-up period ranged from 6 to 46 months. At three months postoperatively, X-ray and CT imaging showed cortical bridging between the host bone and the "sleeve" component. By six months, full integration of the host cortical bone with the metal trabecular interface of the "sleeve" was observed. At the final follow-up, MSTS-93 scores ranged from 26 to 29 points, with no complications such as wound healing issues, implant loosening, fracture, infection, or degenerative arthritis. These findings suggest that 3D-printed titanium "sleeve" provide an effective, bone-preserving solution for femoral stem revision in oncologic megaprostheses, leading to favorable early stability and functional recovery.

Objective:To analyze the efficacy of combination of peginterferon α-2b（Peg-IFN α-2b）with nucleos（t）ide analogues（NAs）on antiviral therapy in children with chronic hepatitis B（CHB）and to provide an optimized clinical treatment strategies for CHB children.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 30 CHB children treated in The First Affiliated Hospital of the Army Medical University（Southwest Hospital）from January 2022 to January 2025 with treatment duration at least 48 weeks. The enrolled children were aged between 2 and 17 years and divided into the NAs combined with Peg-IFN α-2b（NPI）group（n=13）and NAs group（n=17）by their therapy regimens. The characteristics of baseline，week 12，week 24，week 48 and week 96 were compared between groups，as well as the differences in response to biochemical，immune and viral indicators at each observation point. Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic（ROC）curve analysis were performed to identify factors influencing the HBsAg seroclearance. Results:At baseline of treatment，the proportion of HBeAg positivity in the NPI group and the NAs group was high（76.9% vs 86.6%， χ2=0.679， P=0.628），and the alanine aminotransferase（ALT）and aspartate aminotransferase（AST）in the NPI group were significantly lower than those in the NAs group（ P<0.001）. At 24 weeks，the decrease in HBsAg in the NPI group was also significantly higher than that in the NAs group（ Z=-3.161， P=0.002）. Finally，the cumulative seroclearance rate of HBsAg at 96 weeks in the NPI group was significantly higher than that in the NAs group（46.15% vs 5.88%， χ2=0.679， P=0.025）. Mulitivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that treatment regimen and gender were risk factors affecting the outcome of HBsAg（ P<0.05）. ROC curve analysis showed that the increase in ALT at 12 weeks compared with baseline（AUC=0.857，Cutoff value=3.615 IU/L），the decrease in ALT at 24 weeks（AUC=0.870，Cutoff value=47.85 IU/L），and the decrease in HBsAg at 12 weeks and especially at 24 weeks（AUC=0.885，Cutoff value=0.97log IU/ml）were effective predictors of HBsAg prognosis at 96 weeks. Conclusion:In CHB children，antiviral regimen Peg-IFN α-2b combined with NAs was more effective than NAs alone in improving the HBsAg seroclearance rate of CHB，and the effects in female were better than in male. The decline of HBsAg and the fluctuation of ALT in the early treatment period are valid predictors of HBsAg clearance.

Acupuncture and moxibustion have their unique advantages in treating tumors,but the theoretical framework of acupuncture and moxibustion intervention in tumors needs to be improved,and the academic system still needs to be sorted out.In this paper,we try to describe the commonalities between Chinese medical theories and modern medical technologies in order to consolidate the theoretical foundation of acupuncture intervention in tumor.Specifically:① Acupuncture regulates immune function and energy metabolism,which is a specific form of tonifying the spleen and stomach to support positive qi.② Tumors belong to the broad definition of"sores and ulcers"in traditional Chinese medicine,which is a special kind of chronic inflammation,and acupuncture intervenes in tumors by intervening in inflammatory reactions from ulcers.③ Tumor is a"dynamic pseudo-organ"with yin and yang attributes and"life attributes".Acupuncture and moxibustion can regulate various cells and factors in the tumor environment in a multi-targeted way,so as to make it tend to the state of yin and yang equilibrium.④ Acupuncture and moxibustion have unique advantages in the reduction of toxicity,enhancement of efficacy,tonicity,rejuvenation,treatment of complications,etc.,which complement the allopathic therapies of modern medicine,and can help to realize survival with tumors.

Objective To evaluate the changes in postoperative plasma β-endorphin(β-EP)levels in patients who had received perioperative electroacupuncture(EA)treatment in 10 randomized controlled trials(RCTs)and examine the impact of EA on postoperative pain.Methods This meta-analysis evaluated the changes in plasma β-EP levels and visual analog scale(VAS)12,24 and 48 hours after surgery in patients receiving perioperative EA.It also assessed the changes in plasma serotonin(5-hydroxytryptamine,5-HT)and prostaglandin E2(PGE2)levels at 24 hours postsurgery.A comprehensive search was conducted in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),Wanfang,Chongqing VIP database,Chinese Biomedical Database(CBM),Web of Science,and PubMed databases.RCTs on perioperative EA and β-EP published from the inception of the websites up to July 25,2023,were retrieved.Effect size aggregation,literature quality assessment,and bias analysis were performed using RevMan 5.3 software,and sensitivity analysis was conducted via R 4.3.1.Results A total of 10 RCTs involving 706 patients were included.EA in conjunction with conventional anesthesia significantly increased plasma β-EP levels at 12 hours postsurgery[standard mean difference(SMD)=2.79,95%CI(1.85,3.72),Z=5.81,P＜0.00001],24hours postsurgery[SMD=1.87,95%CI(0.9,2.83),Z=3.79,P=0.0001],and 48 hours postsurgery[SMD=2.02,95%CI(1.49,2.54),Z=7.50,P＜0.00001].EA reduced plasma PGE2 levels at 24 hours postsurgery and plasma 5-HT levels at 24 hours postsurgery,and the VAS at 12,24 and 48 hours after surgery also decreased.Conclusion These findings suggest that perioperative EA markedly elevates plasma β-EP levels,reduces pain-inducing factors in plasma,and effectively alleviates acute postoperative pain.

Aim To investigate the effect of exosomes derived from bone marrod-derived mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs)on dexamethasone-induced C2C12 muscular canal atrophy.Methods(1)C57BL/6J mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were isola-ted and cultured by whole bone marrow adhesion meth-od.(2)Extraction and identification of BMSCs EXOs were performed.(3)Myogenic differentiation of C2C12 cells was carried out.(4)The successfully differentia-ted myotubes were divided into the control group(cul-tured in 2％equine serum medium for 48 h),dexam-ethasone group(dexamethasone,DEX,10 μmol·L-1 concentration of DEX interfered with myotubes for 48 h),and exosomes group(exosomes,EXOs,interfered with myotubes for 48 h),exosome inhibitor group(exo-somes extracted from BMSCs after 10 μm GW4869 in-tervention,interfered with myotubes for 48 h).48 h later,the morphology and diameter of muscle tubes were observed and measured by microscope.Cell via-bility of each group was detected by CCK-8 method.The expression levels of atrogin-1 and MuRF-1,myo-genic differentiation antigen(MYOD)in each group were detected by Western blot.Results BMSCs were long spusiform,and BMSCS-EXOS showed a circular bilayer structure under transmission electron microsco-py,with a diameter of about 200 nm.CD9,CD63 and CD81 were highly expressed.Compared with the con-trol group,cell activity in DEX group decreased(P＜0.01),diameter of myotubes decreased(P＜0.01),expressions of atrogin-1(P＜0.05)and MuRF-1(P＜0.01)were significantly up-regulated,and expression of MYOD(P＜0.01)was significantly down-regula-ted.Compared with the DEX group,cell activity in the BMSCs-EXOs group increased(P＜0.01),diameter of myotubes increased(P＜0.01),expressions of atrogin-1(P＜0.05)and MuRF-1(P＜0.01)were signifi-cantly down-regulated,and expression of MYOD(P＜0.01)was up-regulated.Compared with the BMSCs-EXOs group,cell activity of the BMSCs-EXOs(GW4869)group decreased(P＜0.05),diameter of myotubes decreased(P＜0.01),expressions of atrog-in-1(P＜0.05)and MuRF-1(P＜0.05)were up-regulated,and expression of MYOD(P＜0.01)was down-regulated.Conclusion Bone marrow mesen-chymal stem cell-derived exosomes(BM-MSCs-EXOs)inhibit dexamethasone-induced C2C12 muscle tube at-rophy.