Current state of research about acupuncture for the treatment of COVID-19: A scoping review

Chen Chen,Jie Zhan,Hao Wen,Xiaojing Wei,Lu Ding,Chenyang Tao,Cui Li,Peiming Zhang,Yuyuan Tang,Jing-chun Zeng,Li-ming Lu 한국한의학연구원 2021 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.10 No.-

Background Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), acupuncture has been widely used in the treatment of COVID-19. The research community has responded rapidly and has already published many research articles about this topic. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library as well as CNKI, Wanfang and VIP from January 1, 2020 to July 31, 2021. The dates of publication, language of publication, methodological characteristics and the key findings were analyzed separately. The data are presented as bar graphs, structured tables and figures. Results In this scoping review, 16 research articles were included: 7 case reports, 6 observational studies, 1 review, 1 RCT and 1 nonrandomized clinical trial. The majority of the articles (81.3%) were published by Chinese scholars, 12.5% articles were by scholars in the United States, and 6.3% articles were by scholars in Iran. The included studies reported that acupuncture could alleviate the symptoms of COVID-19 patients, shorten their hospitalization days, and is effective for the elderly. There were no side effects reported. The most frequent acupoints used were LI4, PC6, ST36 and KI3. They reported many obstacles in implementing acupuncture therapy for treating COVID-19 patients. Conclusion Acupuncture has a good effect for the treatment of COVID-19, but high-quality evidence support is still lacking. Coupled with the difficulties that acupuncturists experienced during the process of treatment, the promotion of acupuncture treatment for COVID-19 faces many obstacles. Background Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), acupuncture has been widely used in the treatment of COVID-19. The research community has responded rapidly and has already published many research articles about this topic. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library as well as CNKI, Wanfang and VIP from January 1, 2020 to July 31, 2021. The dates of publication, language of publication, methodological characteristics and the key findings were analyzed separately. The data are presented as bar graphs, structured tables and figures. Results In this scoping review, 16 research articles were included: 7 case reports, 6 observational studies, 1 review, 1 RCT and 1 nonrandomized clinical trial. The majority of the articles (81.3%) were published by Chinese scholars, 12.5% articles were by scholars in the United States, and 6.3% articles were by scholars in Iran. The included studies reported that acupuncture could alleviate the symptoms of COVID-19 patients, shorten their hospitalization days, and is effective for the elderly. There were no side effects reported. The most frequent acupoints used were LI4, PC6, ST36 and KI3. They reported many obstacles in implementing acupuncture therapy for treating COVID-19 patients. Conclusion Acupuncture has a good effect for the treatment of COVID-19, but high-quality evidence support is still lacking. Coupled with the difficulties that acupuncturists experienced during the process of treatment, the promotion of acupuncture treatment for COVID-19 faces many obstacles.

Evaluation of DNA Repair Gene XRCC1 Polymorphism in Prediction and Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk

Li, Qiu-Wen,Lu, Can-Rong,Ye, Ming,Xiao, Wen-Hua,Liang, Jun Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.1

We conducted a case-control study in China to clarify the association between XRCC1-Arg399Gln polymorphism and HCC risk. A total of 150 cases and 158 controls were selected from the the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from May 2008 to May 2010. XRCC1-Arg399Gln polymorphism was based upon duplex polymerase-chain-reaction with the confronting-two-pairprimer (PCR-CTPP) method. All analyses were performed using the STATA statistical package. A significantly increased risk was associated with the Arg/Gln genotype (adjusted OR 1.78, 95%CI=1.13-2.79) compared with genotype Arg/Arg. In contrast, the Gln/Gln genotype had non-significant increased risk of HCC with adjusted OR (95%CI) of 1.69 (0.93-2.66). A significant association was found between positive HBsAg and Arg/Gln, with an OR of 3.43 (95% CI=1.45-8.13). Patients carrying Gln/Gln genotypes showed significantly lower median survival than Arg/Arg genotypes (HR=1.38, 95% CI=1.04-1.84). Further Kaplan-Meier analysis showed decreased median survival in Arg/Gln+Gln/Gln genotype carriers in comparison to Arg/Arg carriers (HR=1.33, 95% CI=1.02-1.76). In conclusion, we observed that XRCC1-Arg399Cln polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to HCC, and XRCC1 Gln allele genotype showed significant prognostic associations.

Bradyrhizobium spp. and Sinorhizobium fredii are Predominant in Root Nodules of Vigna angularis, a Native Legume Crop in the Subtropical Region of China

Li Li Han,En Tao Wang,Yang Li Lu,Yong Fa Zhang,Xin Hua Sui,Wen Feng Chen,Wen Xin Chen 한국미생물학회 2009 The journal of microbiology Vol.47 No.3

Adzuki bean (Vigna angularis) is an important legume crop native to China, but its rhizobia have not been well characterized. In the present study, a total of 60 rhizobial strains isolated from eight provinces of China were analyzed with amplified 16S rRNA gene RFLP, IGS-RFLP, and sequencing analyses of 16S rRNA, atpD, recA, and nodC genes. These strains were identified as genomic species within Rhizobium, Sinorhizobium, Mesorhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, and Ochrobactrum. The most abundant groups were Bradyrhizobium species and Sinorhizobium fredii. Diverse nodC genes were found in these strains, which were mainly co-evolved with the housekeeping genes, but a possible lateral transfer of nodC from Sinorhizobium to Rhizobium was found. Analyses of the genomic and symbiotic gene backgrounds showed that adzuki bean shared the same rhizobial gene pool with soybean (legume native to China) and the exotic Vigna species. All of these data demonstrated that nodule formation is the interaction of rhizobia, host plants, and environment characters.

Prognostic Role of Hypoxic Inducible Factor Expression in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: A Meta-analysis

Li, Cong,Lu, Hua-Jun,Na, Fei-Fei,Deng, Lei,Xue, Jian-Xin,Wang, Jing-Wen,Wang, Yu-Qing,Li, Qiao-Ling,Lu, You Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.6

Introduction: Reported prognostic roles of hypoxic inducible factor (HIF) expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have varied. This meta-analysis aimed to examine the relationship between HIF expression and clinical outcome in NSCLC patients. Methods: PubMed were used to identify relevant literature with the last report up to December $20^{th}$, 2012. After careful review, survival data were collected from eligible studies. We completed the meta-analysis using Stata statistical software (Version 11) and combined hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival (OS). Subgroup specificity, heterogeneity and publication bias were also assessed. All of the results were verified by two persons to ensure accuracy. Results: Eight studies were finally stepped into this meta-analysis in which seven had available data for HIF-$1{\alpha}$ and three for HIF-$2{\alpha}$. Combined HRs suggested that higher expression of $HIF1{\alpha}$ had a negative impact on NSCLC patient survival (HR=1.50; 95%CI=1.07-2.10; p=0.019). The expression of HIF-$2{\alpha}$ was also relative to a poorer survival (HR=2.02; 95%CI=1.47-2.77; p=0.000). No bias existed in either of the two groups. Conclusion: This study suggests that elevations of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ and HIF-$2{\alpha}$ expression are both associated with poor outcome for patients with NSCLC. The data support further and high quality investigation of HIF expression for predicting poor outcome in patients with NSCLC.

GOLPH3, a Good Prognostic Indicator in Early-stage NSCLC Related to Tumor Angiogenesis

Lu, Ming,Tian, Yu,Yue, Wei-Ming,Li, Lin,Li, Shu-Hai,Qi, Lei,Hu, Wen-Si,Gao, Cun,Si, Li-Bo,Tian, Hui Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.14

Background: Golgi phosphoprotein-3 (GOLPH3) is implicated in cancer development and progression. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of GOLPH3 protein and its association with tumor angiogenesis in patients with early-stage NSCLC. Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemistry was performed to determine GOLPH3 protein expression and allow assessment of intratumoral microvessel density (MVD) by counting CD-34 positive immunostained endothelial cells. Correlations of expression with MVD, clinicopathologic features and clinical prognosis were analyzed. Results: A notably higher level of GOLPH3 expression was found in early-stage NSCC tissues at the protein level. However, we do not find any correlation between GOLPH3 expression and clinicopathologic features (p>0.05), although higher MVD was positively associated with GOLPH3 overexpression (p<0.001). Expression of GOLPH3 was found to be an independent prognostic factor in early-stage NSCLC patients, those expressing high levels of GOLPH3 exhibiting a substantially lower 5-year overall survival than GOLPH3-negative patients (adjusted HR =1.899, 95% CI: 1.021-3.532, p=0.043). Conclusions: High expression of the GOLPH3 protein is common in early-stage NSCC, and is closely associated with tumor progression, increased tumor angiogenesis, and poor survival. We conclude a possibility of its use as a diagnostic and prognostic marker in early-stage NSCC patients.

Proposal of a Pretreatment Nomogram for Predicting Local Recurrence after Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy in T4 Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Retrospective Review of 415 Chinese Patients

Lu-Lu Zhang,Yi-Yang Li,Jiang Hu,Guan-Qun Zhou,Lei Chen,Wen-Fei Li,Ai-Hua Lin,Jun Ma,Zhen-Yu Qi,Ying Sun 대한암학회 2018 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.50 No.4

Purpose Local relapse-free survival (LRFS) differs widely among patients with T4 category nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We aimed to build a nomogram incorporating clinicopathological information to predict LRFS in T4 NPC after definitive intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Materials and Methods Retrospective study of 415 Chinese patients with non-metastatic T4 NPC treated with definitive IMRT with or without chemotherapy at our cancer center between October 2009 and September 2013. The nomogram for LRFS at 3 and 5 years was generated based on multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression, and validated using bootstrap resampling, assessing discriminative performance using the concordance index (C-index) and determining calibration ability via calibration curves. Results Five-year LRFS was 88.8%. We identified and incorporated four independent prognostic factors for LRFS: ethmoid sinus invasion, primary gross tumor volume, age, and pretreatment body mass index. The C-index of the nomogram for local recurrence was 0.732 (95% confidence interval, 0.726 to 0.738), indicating excellent predictive accuracy. The calibration curve revealed excellent agreement between nomogram-predicted and observed LRFS probabilities. Risk subgroups based on total point score cutoff values enabled effective discrimination of LRFS. Conclusion This pretreatment nomogram enables clinicians to accurately predict LRFS in T4 NPC after definitive IMRT, and could help to facilitate personalized patient counselling and treatment strategies.

Attenuation of Experimental Autoimmune Hepatitis in Mice with Bone Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Carrying MicroRNA-223-3p

Lu, Feng-Bin,Chen, Da-Zhi,Chen, Lu,Hu, En-De,Wu, Jin-Lu,Li, Hui,Gong, Yue-Wen,Lin, Zhuo,Wang, Xiao-Dong,Li, Ji,Jin, Xiao-Ya,Xu, Lan-Man,Chen, Yong-Ping Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology 2019 Molecules and cells Vol.42 No.12

MicroRNA-223-3p (miR-223-3p) is one of the potential microRNAs that have been shown to alleviate inflammatory responses in pre-clinical investigations and is highly encased in exosomes derived from bone mesenchymal stem cells (MSC-exosomes). MSC-exosomes are able to function as carriers to deliver microRNAs into cells. Autoimmune hepatitis is one of the challenging liver diseases with no effective treatment other than steroid hormones. Here, we examined whether MSC-exosomes can transfer miR-223-3p to treat autoimmune hepatitis in an experimental model. We found that MSC-exosomes were successfully incorporated with miR-223-3p and delivered miR-223-3p into macrophages. Moreover, there was no toxic effect of exosomes on the macrophages. Furthermore, treatments of either exosomes or exosomes with miR-223-3p successfully attenuated inflammatory responses in the liver of autoimmune hepatitis and inflammatory cytokine release in both the liver and macrophages. The mechanism may be related to the regulation of miR-223-3p level and STAT3 expression in the liver and macrophages. These results suggest that MSC-exosomes can be used to deliver miR-223-3p for the treatment of autoimmune hepatitis.

Preparation and Characterization of Anti-GP73 Monoclonal Antibodies and Development of Double-antibody Sandwich ELISA

Li, Qi-Wen,Chen, Hong-Bing,Li, Zhi-Yang,Shen, Peng,Qu, Li-Li,Gong, Lai-Ling,Xu, Hong-Pan,Pang, Lu,Si, Jin Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.5

Background: Serum Golgi protein 73 (GP73) as a novel and potential marker for diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been found to be elevated in HCC patients and associated with clinical variables representing tumor growth and invasiveness. The aim of this study was to prepare a pair of monoclonal antibodys (mAbs) against GP73 and develop a newly designed double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (s-ELISA), which would be used in the detection of serum GP73 (sGP73) as well as in the diagnosis of HCC. Materials and Methods: Produced by prokaryotic expression, the purified recombinant GP73 (rGP73), produced by prokaryotic expression, was used to immunize the Balb/c mice. Two hybridoma cell lines against GP73 were obtained by fusing mouse Sp2/0 myeloma cells with spleen cells from the immunized mice. The titers of anti-GP73 mAb reached 1:243,000. Western blotting analysis and Immunohistochemistry staining revealed that anti-GP73 mAb could recognize GP73 protein. The double-antibody s-ELISA was successfully established and validated by 119 HCC and 103 normal serum samples. Results: showed that the detection limit of this method could reach 1.56 ng/ml, and sGP73 levels in HCC group (mean=190.6 ng/ml) were much higher than those of in healthy controls (mean=70.92 ng/ml). Conclusions: Results of our study not only showed that sGP73 levels of HCC patients were significantly higher than those of healthy controls, but also indicated that the laboratory homemade anti-GP73 mAbs could be the optimal tool used in evaluating sGP73 levels, which would provide a solid foundation for subsequent clinical applications.

[書評] 一位美國敎授眼裏的中國家庭 -評周錫瑞敎授<<葉: 百年動?中的一個中國家庭>> (周錫瑞, 太原: 山西人民出版社 2014年)

리원루 ( Li Wen Lu ) 중국사학회 2018 中國史硏究 Vol.112 No.-

Rapid Detection and Monitoring Therapeutic Efficacy of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex Using a Novel Real-Time Assay

( Jiang Li Juan ),( Wen Juan Wu ),( Hai Wu ),( Son Sik Ryang ),( Jian Zhou ),( Wei Wu ),( Tao Li ),( Jian Guo ),( Hong Hai Wang ),( Shui Hua Lu ),( Yao Li ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2012 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.22 No.9

We combined real-time RT-PCR and real-time PCR (R/P) assays using a hydrolysis probe to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC)-specific 16S rRNA and its rRNA gene (rDNA). The assay was applied to 28 nonrespiratory and 207 respiratory specimens from 218 patients. Total nucleic acids (including RNA and DNA) were extracted from samples, and results were considered positive if the repeat RT-PCR threshold cycle was ≤35 and the ratio of real-time RT-PCR and real-time PCR load was ≥1.51. The results were compared with those from existing methods, including smear, culture, and real-time PCR. Following resolution of the discrepant results between R/P assay and culture, the overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPV), and negative predictive values (NPV) of all samples (including nonrespiratory and respiratory specimens) were 98.2%, 97.2%, 91.7%, and 99.4%, respectively, for R/P assay, and 83.9%, 89.9%, 72.3%, and 94.7%, respectively, for real-time PCR. Furthermore, the R/P assay of four patient samples showed a higher ratio before treatment than after several days of treatment. We conclude that the R/P assay is a rapid and accurate method for direct detection of MTBC, which can distinguish viable and nonviable MTBC, and thus may guide patient therapy and public health decisions.