Moxibustion for Diarrhea-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background. The complementary and alternative medicines in treatment of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) are controversial. Methods. We searched PubMed, Ovid Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library databases, CNKI, Wanfang Database, CBM, VIP, and AMED for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of moxibustion compared with pharmacological medications in patients with IBS-D. A meta-analysis was performed using both fixed and random-effects models based on heterogeneity across studies. Results. In total, 568 patients in 7 randomized controlled trials were randomly treated with moxibustion and pharmacological medications. The improvement of global IBS-D symptoms and overall scores was significant (P=0.0001 and P<0.0001, resp.) in patients treated by moxibustion only compared to pharmacological medications. The specific IBS-D symptoms of abdominal pain, abdominal distension, abnormal stool, and defecation frequency were alleviated in patients treated by moxibustion compared to pharmacological medications, but no significance was found except for abdominal distension and defecation frequency (P=0.03 and P=0.02, resp.). There were no serious adverse events related to moxibustion. Conclusions. Moxibustion appears to be effective in treating IBS-D compared with pharmacological medications. However, further large, rigorously designed trials are warranted due to insufficient methodological rigor in the included trials

Moxibustion for Diarrhea-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background. The complementary and alternative medicines in treatment of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) are controversial. Methods. We searched PubMed, Ovid Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library databases, CNKI, Wanfang Database, CBM, VIP, and AMED for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of moxibustion compared with pharmacological medications in patients with IBS-D. A meta-analysis was performed using both fixed and random-effects models based on heterogeneity across studies. Results. In total, 568 patients in 7 randomized controlled trials were randomly treated with moxibustion and pharmacological medications. The improvement of global IBS-D symptoms and overall scores was significant ( = 0.0001 and &lt; 0.0001, resp.) in patients treated by moxibustion only compared to pharmacological medications. The specific IBS-D symptoms of abdominal pain, abdominal distension, abnormal stool, and defecation frequency were alleviated in patients treated by moxibustion compared to pharmacological medications, but no significance was found except for abdominal distension and defecation frequency ( = 0.03 and = 0.02, resp.). There were no serious adverse events related to moxibustion. Conclusions. Moxibustion appears to be effective in treating IBS-D compared with pharmacological medications. However, further large, rigorously designed trials are warranted due to insufficient methodological rigor in the included trials

HULC and H19 Played Different Roles in Overall and Disease-Free Survival from Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Curative Hepatectomy: A Preliminary Analysis from Gene Expression Omnibus

Objective. This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in tumor tissues and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) aggressiveness and survival. Methods. We correlated the lncRNAs in tumor tissues with HCC survival and clinicopathological features based on Gene Expression Omnibus expression profile GSE36376. Results. Eight lncRNAs and 240 HCC patients were included. Cox regression analysis indicated that HULC was a positive factor for HCC overall survival (HR = 0.885, 95% CI = 0.797–0.983, and P=0.023) and disease-free survival time (HR = 0.913, 95% CI = 0.835–0.998, and P=0.045). H19 and UCA1 were both demonstrated to be risk factors of HCC disease-free survival in multivariate Cox model (HR = 1.071, 95% CI = 1.01–1.137, and P=0.022 and HR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.092–5.273, and P=0.029, resp.). But Kaplan-Meier method showed no significant association between UCA1 and HCC disease-free survival (log rank P=0.616). Logistic regression demonstrated that H19 was overexpressed in HBV-infected patients (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.008–1.29, and P=0.037). HULC had a significant association with vascular invasion (OR = 0.648, 95% CI = 0.523–0.803, and P<0.001). H19 and MEG3 were both considered to be risk factors for high AFP level (OR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.277–1.646, and P<0.001 and OR = 1.613, 95% CI = 1.1–2.365, and P=0.014, resp.). Conclusions. Contributing to decreased susceptibility to vascular invasion, upregulation of HULC in tumor tissues was positively associated with HCC survival. In contrast, H19 overexpression might be risk factor for HCC aggressiveness and poor outcomes

Add-On Therapy with Traditional Chinese Medicine Improves Outcomes and Reduces Adverse Events in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background and Aims. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TCM regimens in HCC treatment. Methods. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) up to June 1, 2016, of the TCM treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma were systematically identified in PubMed, CNKI, Ovid, Embase, Web of Science, Wanfang, VIP, CBM, AMED, and Cochrane Library databases. Results. A total of 1010 and 931 patients in 20 RCTs were randomly treated with add-on TCM therapy and conventional therapy, respectively. The additional use of TCM significantly improved six-month, one-year, two-year, and three-year overall survival rates in HCC cases (RR = 1.3, P=0.01; RR = 1.38, P=0.0008; RR = 1.44, P<0.0001; RR = 1.31, P=0.02, resp.). Add-on TCM therapy significantly increased PR rate and total response rate (tRR) and reduced PD rate compared to those in control group (34.4% versus 26.3%, RR = 1.30, P=0.002; 41.6% versus 31.0%, RR = 1.30, P<0.0001; and 16.6% versus 26.5%, RR = 0.64, P<0.0001, resp.). Additionally, TCM combination therapy significantly increased the quality of life (QOL) improvement rate and reduced adverse events including leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, anemia or erythropenia, liver injury, and gastrointestinal discomfort in HCC patients (all P<0.05). Conclusion. Add-on therapy with TCM could improve overall survival, increase clinical tumor responses, lead to better QOL, and reduce adverse events in hepatocellular carcinoma

Additional file 1: Table S1. of Combination of sorafenib and gadolinium chloride (GdCl3) attenuates dimethylnitrosamine(DMN)-induced liver fibrosis in rats

Primers used for PCR. Table S2. Effects of sorafenib plus GdCl3 on body, liver and spleen weights in DMN-induced rat liver fibrosis (mean ± sd). Table S3. the effects of sorafenib, GdCl3, and sorafenib plus GdCl3 on liver function. (DOCX 123 kb