Specific effect of inserted sham acupuncture and its impact on the estimation of acupuncture treatment effect in randomized controlled trials: A systematic survey.

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.

The impact of national centralized drug procurement on health expenditures for lung cancer inpatients: A difference-in-differences analysis in a large tertiary hospital in China.

The availability and affordability of medicines remain major health challenges around the world. In March 2019, the Chinese government introduced a pilot National Centralized Drug Procurement (NCDP) program in order to reduce drug prices and improve the affordability of effective and safe medicines. This study aimed to assess the impact of NCDP policy on health expenditures of cancer patients.

Clinical course of suspected small gastrointestinal stromal tumors in the stomach.

Background: Gastric subepithelial lesions are frequently encountered during endoscopic examinations, and the majority of them are small and asymptomatic. Among these lesions, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the major concern for patients and clinicians owing to their malignant potentials. Although previous guidelines suggested periodic surveillance for such small (≤ 20 mm) lesions, several patients and clinicians have still requested or prescribed repeated examinations or radical resection, posing extra medical burdens and risks.

Biliary spontaneous dislodgement spiral stent for patients who underwent mechanical lithotripsy.

Background: The incidence of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) cholangitis (PEC) in patients who underwent mechanical lithotripsy (ML) for large stone removal is high (up to 13.3%). One of the main causes is remaining small fragments or sludge that can impair normal biliary drainage.

All-cause child mortality in minority and non-minority areas in Sichuan Province in Western China, 2008-2017.

This study aimed to evaluate the disparity in the under-five mortality rate (U5MR) between minority and non-minority areas in Sichuan Province in Western China. Data for this study was obtained from the National Health Statistics Survey System. The Cochran-Armitage trend test was used to analyze the time trend of the U5MR.

New antireflux plastic stent for patients with distal malignant biliary obstruction.

Background: Endoscopic biliary stenting is a well-established palliative treatment for patients with unresectable distal malignant biliary obstruction (MBO). However, the main problem with stent placement is the relatively short duration of stent patency. Although self-expanding metal stents (SEMSs) have a longer patency period than plastic stents (PSs), the higher costs limit the wide use of SEMSs.

Associations of Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein TaqIB Polymorphism with the Composite Ischemic Cardiovascular Disease Risk and HDL-C Concentrations: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: Previous studies have evaluated the associations between the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) TaqIB polymorphism (rs708272), the risk of developing composite ischemic cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the concentration of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), but results remain controversial. The objective of this study was to investigate whether a relationship exists between these factors.

Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis of available studies to clarify the associations of the CETP TaqIB polymorphism with HDL-C concentration and the composite ischemic CVD risk in both Asians and Caucasians.

Association between Polymorphisms and Haplotype in the ABCA1 Gene and Overweight/Obesity Patients in the Uyghur Population of China.

Objective: This study aimed to detect the association between polymorphisms and haplotype in the ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) gene and overweight/obese Uyghur patients in China.

Methods: A total of 259 overweight/obese patients and 276 normal weight subjects, which were randomly selected from among 3049 adult Uyghurs, were matched for age. We genotyped ABCA1 single nucleotide polymorphisms of rs2515602, rs3890182, rs2275542, rs2230806, rs1800976, and rs4149313.

Interactions of Six SNPs in ABCA1gene and Obesity in Low HDL-C Disease in Kazakh of China.

Objective: To detect the interactions between six functional polymorphisms in ABCA1 and obesity in Kazakhs with low HDL-C levels.

Methods: A total of 204 patients with low HDL-C and 207 health control subjects, which were randomly selected from among 5692 adult Kazakhs, were matched for age and sex. We genotyped ABCA1 single nucleotide polymorphisms of rs2515602, rs3890182, rs2275542, rs2230806, rs1800976, and rs4149313.

Complex segregation analysis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Guangdong, China: evidence for a multifactorial mode of inheritance (complex segregation analysis of NPC in China).

The striking geographical and ethnic distribution of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) suggests the involvement of genetic and environmental factors in NPC development. The purpose of this study is to investigate the fit of single gene, polygenic and multifactorial models to the observed pattern of transmission of NPC in a hospital-based family history study conducted by the Cancer Center of Sun Yat-Sen University (CCSYU) in Guangzhou, China. Complex segregation analysis of a total of 1903 Cantonese pedigrees ascertained at CCSYU was conducted using a unified mixed model after the pedigrees were partitioned into 3737 nuclear families.

Familial risk and clustering of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Guangdong, China.

Background: Previous studies have suggested that genetic susceptibility may play an important role in the etiology of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). However, to date, few large-scale studies have been conducted on familial risk and clustering of NPC in a high-risk area of China.

Methods: In the current study, 2252 patients with NPC who were treated at the Cancer Center of Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangdong Province, China, were identified as probands.