1.Clinical Study on Oral Administration of Guizhi Decoction Combined with Acupoint Application of Banxia Fuling Decoction in Treating Hyperemesis Gravidarum of Taiyin Syndrome Type
Hui ZHOU ; Fan-Wei WU ; Zi-Qi LIN
Journal of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;41(8):2047-2054
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of oral administration of Guizhi Decoction combined with acupoint application of Banxia Fuling Decoction in the treatment of hyperemesis gravidarum(nausea and vomiting during pregnancy)of taiyin syndrome.Methods Sixty patients with hyperemesis gravidarum of taiyin syndrome were randomly divided into the treatment group and thecontrol group at the ratio of 1∶1,with 30 cases in each group.The control group was given acupoint application of Banxia Fuling Decoction on the acupoints of Zhongwan(CV12),bilateral Neiguan(PC6),bilateral Zusanli(ST36),and bilateral Yinlingquan(SP9).The treatment group was treated with Guizhi Decoction orally on the basis of treatment for the control group.Both groups were treated for 2 weeks.The changes of Pregnancy-Unique Quantification of Emesis(PUQE)score,Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire(NVPPQOL)score and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome score in the two groups were observed before and after treatment.Multiple linear regression analysis was performed for the exploration of the influencing factors of PUQE score in the two groups before treatment.After treatment,the cured and markedly effective rate,negative conversion rate of pregnancy anxiety and negative conversion rate of urinary ketone bodies were compared between the two groups.Results(1)After 2 weeks of treatment,the cured and markedly effective rate of the treatment group was 86.67%(26/30),and that of the control group was 56.67%(17/30).The intergroup comparison showed that the cured and markedly effective rate of the treatment group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P<0.05).(2)After treatment,the PUQE score,NVPPQOL score and TCM syndrome score of the two groups were significantly decreased compared with those before treatment(P<0.05),and the decrease of PUQE score,NVPPQOL score and TCM syndrome score in the treatment group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P<0.05).(3)Pearson correlation analysis showed that PUQE score was negatively correlated with gestational age(P<0.05),but had no correlation with gestational weeks and anxiety score(P>0.05).(4)After treatment,the negative conversion rate of pregnancy anxiety in the treatment group was 16.67%(5/30),and that in the control group was 6.67%(2/30).There was no significant difference between the two groups(P>0.05).(5)After treatment,the negative conversion rate of urinary ketone bodies in the treatment group was 53.33%(16/30),and that in the control group was 13.33%(4/30).The intergroup comparison showed that the negative conversion rate of urinary ketone bodies in the treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.01).(6)There were no obvious adverse reactions or adverse events in the two groups during the treatment,and there were no abnormal changes in the blood and urine routine test,liver and kidney function indicators and other safety indexes of the patients,with high safety.Conclusion Oral administration of Guizhi Decoction combined with acupoint application of Banxia Fuling Decoction can effectively alleviate the symptoms of nausea and vomiting,improve the quality of life of patients,and increase the negative conversion rate of urinary ketone bodies in the patients with hyperemesis gravidarum of taiyin syndrome.Moreover,there is a certain correlation of the nausea and vomiting PUQE score with the age of the patients.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
2.Safety and efficacy of domestically produced novel bioabsorbable vascular scaff old in the treatment of complex coronary artery lesions for 3 years
Deng-Shuang ZHOU ; Qiong YOU ; Hai-Liang MO ; Zi-Jun WU ; Yu-Biao LIN ; Lu-Jun CHEN ; Jun-Yu FAN ; Yong-Jian LIN ; Rui-Sheng ZHANG ; Pei-Shan WAN ; Wei-Guo ZHOU ; Keng WU
Chinese Journal of Interventional Cardiology 2024;32(9):509-515
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective To investigate the safety and efficacy of novel bioabsorbable vascular scaffold(BVS)in the treatment of patients with complex coronary artery disease.Methods This was a retrospective,matched,single-center observational study.45 patients with coronary atherosclerotic cardiopathy received BVS treatment in the cardiovascular medicine department Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University from June 2020 to June 2021(BVS),and 45 patients treated with drug-eluting stents(DES)group were selected according to matching study requirements during the same period.Baseline,surgical,and follow-up data were compared between the two groups to evaluate safety and efficacy.The main measures of safety were:surgical time,intraoperative adverse events,etc.,and the end point of efficacy was target lesion failure(TLF),including cardiac death,target vessel myocardial infarction,and ischa-driven target lesion revascularization.Results A total of 90 patients were enrolled in this study,all of whom were followed up for at least 3 years.There were 20 cases of bifurcation lesions and 25 cases of diffuse long lesions in the two groups,and 50 cases of imaging were reviewed among the 90 patients.The proportion of stable coronary heart disease,history of diabetes,history of hypertension,history of smoking,pre-dilated balloon pressure and postoperative diastolic blood pressure in BVS group was higher than that in DES group,and the proportion of family history was lower than that in DES group(all P<0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in the rates of cardiac death,target vessel myocardial infarction,and ischemia-driven revascularization of target lesions between the two groups(all P>0.05).Binary Logistic regression model analysis showed that the diameter stenosis ratio of target lesions was an independent risk factor for intrastent restenosis(OR 2.786,95%CI 1.096-7.081,P=0.031).Conclusions Compared with traditional DES,BVS implantation has consistent safety and efficacy in the treatment of complex coronary artery disease within 3 years.The diameter stenosis ratio of target lesions was an independent risk factor for intrastent restenosis.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
3.Study on the changes of skeletal muscle index during chemoradiotherapy for patients with cervical cancer and its correlation with prognosis
Fan ZHOU ; Jin-Feng BAO ; Hui LU ; Mei-Qing DING ; Li-Ping DENG ; Zi YIN ; Zi-Qi CHEN ; Li-Jing ZHU
Parenteral & Enteral Nutrition 2024;31(4):211-219
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective:To study the changes in skeletal muscle and serum nutritional indicators during concurrent chemoradiotherapy in cervical cancer patients,and to evaluate their correlation with short-term efficacy and long-term prognosis. Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 114 patients with cervical cancer who underwent radical concurrent chemoradiotherapy in the Department of Oncology,Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from February 2019 to February 2023. All patients underwent a treatment regimen comprising external beam radiation (EBRT),internal radiation,and concurrent chemotherapy. Serum nutritional data of the patients were collected before radiotherapy,one week,two weeks and five weeks after the onset of radiotherapy. CT images of the patients at the time of simulation and about five weeks after the onset of radiotherapy were imported into the Pinnacle 39.10 planning system,and the skeletal muscle index (SMI) of the third lumbar vertebra (L3) were calculated for each patients. The changes of the serum nutritional indicators of the patients prior to and post EBRT were analyzed statistically. The patients are categorized into two groups according to the baseline SMI:a sarcopenic group consisting of 35 cases and a non-sarcopenic group comprising 79 cases. The therapeutic outcomes between the two groups were compared,and logistic analysis of the relevant factors affecting the occurrence of sarcopenia during radiotherapy was conducted. The survival curves were drawn using Kaplan-Meier method and disease-free survival (DFS) between the two groups was compared using Log Rank test. We used Cox univariate and multivariate regression analysis to identify prognostic factors related to DFS. Results:The serum nutritional indicators of the patient at one week,two weeks,and five weeks after the beginning of EBRT were significantly lower than those before radiotherapy (P<0.05). The SMI from the CT images of simulation at five weeks after the onset of radiotherapy was significantly lower than that before radiotherapy (P<0.001). There was a significant correlation between hemoglobin levels prior to radiotherapy and incidence of sarcopenia during radiotherapy (P=0.046). There was no significant difference in efficacy between the two groups at the end of EBRT (P>0.05). At the end of radiotherapy,the complete response (CR) rate of the non-sarcopenia group was significantly higher than that of the sarcopenia group (P=0.040). However,the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) of both groups at the end of radiotherapy were 100%. The 2-year DFS of the sarcopenia group and the non-sarcopenia group were 66.7% and 85.5%,respectively,and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.016). Only four patients died during the 2-year follow-up,so OS was not reached. Baseline SMI,serum squamous cell antigen levels prior to radiotherapy,and degree of bone marrow suppression were three independent prognostic factors affecting DFS in the patients. Conclusion:Cervical cancer patients experience significant nutritional loss during chemoradiotherapy,and baseline SMI is significantly correlated with short-term efficacy and long-term prognosis and can serve as a predictive marker for patients with cervical cancer receiving chemoradiotherapy.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
4.Design of portable collection device for exhaled breath condensate
An XIANG ; Lei ZHOU ; Qi-Feng JI ; Yuan-Zhe LI ; Qin WANG ; Shi-Man ZHU ; Jie PENG ; Xiao-Ying LEI ; Wei-Na LI ; Li WANG ; Yan-Hai GUO ; Zi-Fan LU
Chinese Medical Equipment Journal 2024;45(8):32-37
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective To develop a portable collection device of human exhaled breath condensate(EBC)based on natural breathing to meet the needs for rapid screening of human respiratory tract(especially lower respiratory tract)infections.Methods The device consisted of a refrigeration unit,a heat dissipation unit and a condensation unit.The refrigeration unit adopted a TES1-7102 thermoelectric Peltier cooler semiconductor as the refrigeration element;the heat dissipation unit was composed of a high thermal conductivity aluminum heat sink and a high-speed brushless cooling fan;the condensation unit was made up of a cold guide plate and a condenser,in which the cold guide plate was made of thin sheet of aluminum alloy,and the condenser was prepared by 3D printing technology and made of hydrophobic polylactic acid,with primary and secondary 2-stage guide grooves and an ultra-thin condensing surface.The performance of the device was verified in terms of cooling,thermal conductivity,condensation and human EBC collection and content analysis.Results Performance analysis showed that after refrigeration began the temperature difference between the condenser surface and the exhaled gas met the requirements of the condenser,and no obvious thermal resistance was found on the condensing surface so that large droplets could be formed rapidly and then be collected after the gas-liquid phase change of the exhaled gas on the condensing surface.Human EBC collection and content analysis indicated the device realized home self-collection of EBCs from people of all ages,and the concentrations of interleukins,C-reactive protein and other inflammation-related indexes and the pH value of the collected EBC samples were all correlated with respiratory infections in the subjects.Conclusion The device developed with easy operation avoids the discomfort of blowing collection and the risk of saliva contamination,and is worthy promoting for rapid diagnosis and dynamic monitoring of respiratory tract infection and other related diseases.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(8):32-37]
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
5.Significance of high expression of C5orf46 in gastric cancer and potential intervention of tarditional Chinese medicine based on bioinformatics, molecular docking, and cell experiments.
Ying-Jia ZHOU ; Jia-Ming LIU ; Bin LIU ; Zi-Xia WANG ; Xin-Yu FAN ; Pei-Zhen HUANG ; Yu-Xin HUANG ; Jing-Ning SUN ; Qi-Qi CHEN ; Hong-Mei SHEN
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2023;48(9):2368-2378
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			This study aims to investigate the expression, prognosis, and clinical significance of C5orf46 in gastric cancer and to study the interaction between the active components of C5orf46 and tarditional Chinese medicine. The ggplot2 package was utilized for differential expression analysis of C5orf46 in gastric cancer tissues and normal tissues. The survival package was used for survival analysis, univariate regression analysis, and multivariate regression analysis. Nomogram analysis was used to assess the connection between C5orf46 expression in gastric cancer and overall survival. The abundance of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes was calculated by GSVA package. Coremine database, Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP) database, and PubChem database were used to search the potential components corresponding to C5orf46 gene and tarditional Chinese medicine. Molecular docking was performed to explore the binding affinity of potential components to C5orf46. Cell experiments were performed to explore the expression of C5orf46 gene in cells of the blank group, model group, and drug administration groups. As compared with normal tissues, C5orf46 expression was higher in gastric cancer tissues, which had more significant predictive effects in the early stages(T2, N0, and M0). The more advanced the tumor node metastasis(TNM) stage, the higher the C5orf46 expression and the lower the probability of survival of patients with gastric cancer. The expression of C5orf46 positively correlated with the helper T cells1 in gastric cancer and the macrophage infiltration level in gastric cancer, and negatively correlated with B cells, central memory T cells, helper T cells 17, and follicular helper T cells. Seven potential components of C5orf46 were obtained, and three active components were obtained after the screening, which matched five tarditional Chinese medicines, namely, Sojae Semen Nigrum, Jujubae Fructus, Trichosanthis Fructus, Silybi Fructus, and Bambusae Concretio Silicea. Molecular docking revealed that sialic acid and adeno-sine monophosphate(AMP) had a good binding ability to C5orf46. The results of real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR) and Western blot showed that, as compared with the model group, the mRNA and protein expression levels of C5orf46 were significantly lower in the drug administration groups. The lowest expression level was found at the concentration of 40 μmol·L~(-1). The results of this study provide ideas for the clinical development of traditional Chinese medicine compounds for the treatment of gastric cancer as well as other cancers.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Stomach Neoplasms/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Medicine, Chinese Traditional
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Molecular Docking Simulation
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Prognosis
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Computational Biology
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
6.Population structure of food-borne Staphylococcus aureus in China.
Ya Hui GUO ; Zi Long HE ; Qing Long JI ; Hai Jian ZHOU ; Fan Liang MENG ; Xiao Feng HU ; Xiao Yue WEI ; Jun Cai MA ; Yu Hua YANG ; Wei ZHAO ; Li Jin LONG ; Xin WANG ; Jia Ming FAN ; Xiao Jie YU ; Jian Zhong ZHANG ; De HUA ; Xiao Mei YAN ; Hai Bin WANG
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2023;44(6):982-989
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective: To understand the population structure of food-borne Staphylococcus (S.) aureus in China. Methods: Whole genome sequencing was used to analyze 763 food-borne S. aureus strains from 16 provinces in China from 2006 to 2020. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST), staphylococcal protein A gene (spa) typing, and staphylococcal chromosome cassettemec (SCCmec) typing were conducted, and minimum spanning tree based on ST types (STs) was constructed by BioNumerics 7.5 software. Thirty-one S. aureus strains isolated from imported food products were also included in constructing the genome phylogenetic tree. Results: A total of 90 STs (20 novel types) and 160 spa types were detected in the 763 S. aureus isolates. The 72 STs (72/90, 80.0%) were related to 22 clone complexes. The predominant clone complexes were CC7, CC1, CC5, CC398, CC188, CC59, CC6, CC88, CC15, and CC25, accounting for 82.44% (629/763) of the total. The STs and spa types in the predominant clone complexes changed over the years. The methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) detection rate was 7.60%, and 7 SCCmec types were identified. The ST59-t437-Ⅳa (17.24%, 10/58), ST239-t030-Ⅲ (12.07%, 7/58), ST59-t437-Ⅴb (8.62%, 5/58), ST338-t437-Ⅴb (6.90%, 4/58) and ST338-t441-Ⅴb (6.90%, 4/58) were the main types in MRSA strains. The genome phylogenetic tree had two clades, and the strains with the same CC, ST, and spa types clustered together. All CC7 methicillin sensitive S. aureus strains were included in Clade1, while 21 clone complexes and all MRSA strains were in Clade2. The MRSA strains clustered according to the SCCmec and STs. The strains from imported food products in CC398, CC7, CC30, CC12, and CC188 had far distances from Chinese strains in the tree. Conclusions: In this study, the predominant clone complexes of food-borne strains were CC7, CC1, CC5, CC398, CC188, CC59, CC6, CC88, CC15, and CC25, which overlapped with the previously reported clone complexes of hospital and community-associated strains in China, suggesting that close attention needs to be paid to food, a vehicle of pathogen transmission in community and food poisoning.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Staphylococcus aureus/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Multilocus Sequence Typing
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Phylogeny
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Staphylococcal Infections/epidemiology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			China/epidemiology*
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
7.Analysis on the household secondary attack rates of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant and the associated factors.
Tao MA ; Song Ning DING ; Jun Jun WANG ; Ya Qiong LIANG ; Qin Yi ZHOU ; Heng Xue WANG ; Yue Yuan ZHAO ; Zi Kang YAN ; Hua Feng FAN ; Nan ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2023;57(1):8-14
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective: To evaluate the household secondary attack rates of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant and the associated factors. Methods: A COVID-19 outbreak caused by the Delta variant occurred in Nanjing in July 2021. A total of 235 cases with current addresses in Nanjing were reported from 171 households. The subjects in this study were selected from household close contact(s) of infected cases. The information on household index cases and their contacts were collected, and the household secondary attack rate (HSAR) and the risk factors were analyzed by the multi-factor logistic regression model. Results: A total of 234 cases of household close contacts and 64 household secondary cases were reported from 103 households, and the HSAR was 27.4% (64/234, 95%CI:22.0% to 33.4%). The proportions of household size for 2 to 3, 4 to 5, and 6 to 9 were 64.1% (66), 26.2% (27) and 9.7% (10), respectively. A total of 35 cases of household cluster outbreaks were reported (35/103, 34.0%). The number of the first case in the household (FCH) was 103 and males accounted for 27.2% (28 cases), with the median age (Q1, Q3) of 49 (9, 56). The number of household close contacts was 234 and males accounted for 59.0% (138 cases), with the median age (Q1, Q3) of 42 (20, 55) and the median exposure period (Q1, Q3) of 3 (1, 3) days. The multi-factor logistic regression model showed that the higher HSAR was observed in the FCH with the features of airport staff (OR=2.913, 95%CI:1.469-5.774), detection from home quarantine screening (OR=6.795, 95%CI:1.761-26.219) and detection from mass screening (OR=4.239, 95%CI:1.098-16.368). Meanwhile, higher HSAR was observed in cases with longer household exposure (OR=1.221, 95%CI:1.040-1.432), non-vaccination (OR=2.963, 95%CI:1.288-6.813) and incomplete vaccinations (OR=2.842, 95%CI:0.925-8.731). Conclusion: The generation interval of the Delta variant is shortened, and the ability of transmission within the household is enhanced. In the outbreak in Nanjing, the associated factors of HSAR are occupation, detection route, vaccination and exposure period.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Male
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			SARS-CoV-2
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			COVID-19/epidemiology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Incidence
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Family Characteristics
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
8.The Pathogenic Characteristics of the Initial Three Mpox Cases in Hunan Province, China.
Rong Jiao LIU ; Xing Yu XIANG ; Zi Xiang HE ; Qian Lai SUN ; Fu Qiang LIU ; Shuai Feng ZHOU ; Yi Wei HUANG ; Fang Cai LI ; Chao Yang HUANG ; Juan WANG ; Fang Ling HE ; Xin Hua OU ; Shi Kang LI ; Yu Ying LU ; Fan ZHANG ; Liang CAI ; Hai Ling MA ; Zhi Fei ZHAN
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2023;36(12):1167-1170
9.Zuogui Jiangtang Qinggan Formula improves glucolipid metabolism in type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by regulating FoxO1/MTP/APOB signaling pathway.
Yi-Xin XIANG ; Ya-Lan HUANG ; Min ZHOU ; Jun-Ju ZOU ; Xiu LIU ; Zi-Yu LIU ; Fan XIAO ; Rong YU ; Qin XIANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2023;48(16):4438-4445
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			This study aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of Zuogui Jiangtang Qinggan Formula(ZGJTQG) on the glucolipid metabolism of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) complicated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD). NAFLD was induced by a high-fat diet(HFD) in MKR mice(T2DM mice), and a model of T2DM combined with NAFLD was established. Forty mice were randomly divided into a model group, a metformin group(0.067 g·kg~(-1)), and high-and low-dose ZGJTQG groups(29.64 and 14.82 g·kg~(-1)), with 10 mice in each group. Ten FVB mice of the same age were assigned to the normal group. Serum and liver tissue specimens were collected from mice except for those in the normal and model groups after four weeks of drug administration by gavage, and fasting blood glucose(FBG) and fasting insulin(FINS) levels were measured. The levels of total cholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG), and low-density lipoprotein(LDL) were detected by the single reagent GPO-PAP method. Very low-density lipoprotein(VLDL) was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and aspartate ami-notransferase(AST) were determined by the Reitman-Frankel assay. The pathological changes in the liver were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and oil red O staining. Real-time fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction(real-time PCR) and Western blot were adopted to detect the mRNA and protein expression of forkhead transcription factor O1(FoxO1), microsomal triglyceride transfer protein(MTP), and apolipoprotein B(APOB) in the liver. The results showed that high-dose ZGJTQG could signi-ficantly reduce the FBG and FINS levels(P<0.05, P<0.01), improve glucose tolerance and insulin resistance(P<0.05, P<0.01), alleviate the liver damage caused by HFD which was reflected in improving liver steatosis, and reduce the serum levels of TC, TG, LDL, VLDL, ALT, and AST(P<0.05, P<0.01) in T2DM mice combined with NAFLD. The findings also revealed that the mRNA and protein expression of FoxO1, MTP, and APOB in the liver was significantly down-regulated after the intervention of high-dose ZGJTQG(P<0.05, P<0.01). The above study showed that ZGJTQG could effectively improve glucolipid metabolism in T2DM combined with NAFLD, and the mechanism was closely related to the regulation of the FoxO1/MTP/APOB signaling pathway.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Mice
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Animals
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Liver
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Lipoproteins, LDL/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Signal Transduction
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects*
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		                        			RNA, Messenger/metabolism*
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
10.Efficacy and safety of acupuncture for polycystic ovary syndrome: An overview of systematic reviews.
Han YANG ; Zhi-Yong XIAO ; Zi-Han YIN ; Zheng YU ; Jia-Jia LIU ; Yan-Qun XIAO ; Yao ZHOU ; Juan LI ; Jie YANG ; Fan-Rong LIANG
Journal of Integrative Medicine 2023;21(2):136-148
		                        		
		                        			BACKGROUND:
		                        			Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the primary cause of anovulatory infertility, bringing serious harm to women's physical and mental health. Acupuncture may be an effective treatment for PCOS. However, systematic reviews (SRs) on the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for PCOS have reported inconsistent results, and the quality of these studies has not been adequately assessed.
		                        		
		                        			OBJECTIVE:
		                        			To summarize and evaluate the current evidence on the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for PCOS, as well as to assess the quality and risks of bias of the available SRs.
		                        		
		                        			SEARCH STRATEGY:
		                        			Nine electronic databases (Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, Chongqing VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, and China Biology Medicine disc) were searched from their establishment to July 27, 2022. Based on the principle of combining subject words with text words, the search strategy was constructed around search terms for "acupuncture," "polycystic ovary syndrome," and "systematic review."
		                        		
		                        			INCLUSION CRITERIA:
		                        			SRs of randomized controlled trials that explored the efficacy and (or) safety of acupuncture for treating patients with PCOS were included.
		                        		
		                        			DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS:
		                        			Two authors independently extracted study data according to a predesigned form. Tools for evaluating the methodological quality, risk of bias, reporting quality, and confidence in study outcomes, including A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR 2), Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews (ROBIS), Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses for Acupuncture (PRISMA-A), and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE), were used to score the included SRs.
		                        		
		                        			RESULTS:
		                        			A total of 885 studies were retrieved, and 11 eligible SRs were finally included in this review. The methodological quality of 2 SRs (18.18%) was low, while the other 9 SRs (81.82%) were scored as extremely low. Four SRs (36.36%) were considered to be of low risk of bias. As for reporting quality, the reporting completeness of 9 SRs (81.82%) was more than 70%. Concerning the confidence in study results, 2 study results were considered to have a high quality of evidence (3.13%), 14 (21.88%) a "moderate" quality, 28 (43.75%) a "low" quality, and 20 (31.24%) considered a "very low" quality. Descriptive analyses suggested that combining acupuncture with other medicines can effectively improve the clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and ovulation rate, and reduce luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, and body mass index (BMI). When compared with medicine alone, acupuncture alone also can improve CPR. Further, when compared with no intervention, acupuncture had a better effect in promoting the recovery of menstrual cycle and reducing BMI. Acupuncture was reported to cause no adverse events or some adverse events without serious harm.
		                        		
		                        			CONCLUSION
		                        			The efficacy and safety of acupuncture for PCOS remains uncertain due to the limitations and inconsistencies of current evidence. More high-quality studies are needed to support the use of acupuncture in PCOS.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Pregnancy
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Female
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Polycystic Ovary Syndrome/etiology*
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		                        			Acupuncture Therapy/adverse effects*
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		                        			Infertility, Female/etiology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			China
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
            
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