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Based on data mining technology, the rules of acupoint selection of acupuncture-moxibustion for scrofula in ancient times were analyzed. The relevant articles of acupuncture and moxibustion for scrofula were searched in the Chinese Medical Code , and the original article, acupoint name, acupoint characteristic, and acupoint meridian tropism, etc. were screened and extracted. The Microsoft Excel 2019 was used to establish a acupoint prescription database, and the frequency of acupoints as well as their meridian tropism and characteristics were analyzed. The SPSS21.0 was applied to perform cluster analysis of acupuncture prescriptions; the SPSS Modeler 18.0 was used to perform the association rules analysis of the neck and the chest-armpit acupoints, respectively. As a result, 314 acupuncture prescriptions were extracted, including 236 single-acupoint prescriptions and 78 multiple-acupoints prescriptions (53 for neck and 25 for chest-armpit). A total of 54 acupoints were involved, with a total frequency of 530. The top 3 commonly-used acupoints were Tianjing (TE 10), Zulinqi (GB 41) and Taichong (LR 3); the most commonly-used meridians were hand shaoyang meridian, foot shaoyang meridian, hand yangming meridian and foot yangming meridian; the most commonly-used special acupoints were he -sea points and shu- stream points. The cluster analysis obtained 6 clusters, and the association rule analysis obtained that the core prescriptions of the neck were Quchi (LI 11), Jianyu (LI 15), Tianjing (TE 10) and Jianjing (GB 21), while the core prescriptions of the chest-armpit were Daling (PC 7), Yanglingquan (GB 34), Danzhong (CV 17), Jianjing (GB 21), Waiguan (TE 5), Zhigou (TE 6), Yuanye (GB 22) and Zhangmen (LR 13). The core prescriptions obtained from association rule analysis by difference areas were basically consistent with those by cluster analysis of total prescriptions.

Through analyzing the indication distribution of the different acupoints located at the upper limbs recorded in Science of Acupoints and Science of Meridians and Acupoints , the industry planning teaching materials of traditional Chinese medicine, it is discovered that the acupoints located at the upper arms are commonly selected for the treatment of scrofula and goiter, while the acupoints below the elbow at the hand meridians and those at the lower limbs of the foot meridians which running through the neck, do not have the similar indications. Based on a further analysis on the literature at ancient and modern times, it is believed that the acupoints located on the lateral side of the upper arms, especially those at the large intestine meridian of hand- yangming perhaps have the specific effect in treatment of scrofula and goiter.

Immunological function and lymphocytic subsets of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBWC) from 39 patients with scrofula were investigated before and after treatment with musk-moxa-string therapy. The results showed that the percentage of CD3+, CD4+ cells and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ cells were markedly decreased in the patients than normal control (P less than 0.001). On the contrary, the numbers of B lymphocytes and DR+ cells were increased. But the response of PBWC to phytohemagglutin in (PHA) stimulation markedly decreased in the patients than the normal control. After treatment with musk-moxa-string therapy, the percentage of CD3+, CD4+ cells and the ratio of CD4/CD8 were increased (P less than 0.001) and blastogenic response to mitogen stimulation with PHA recovered to normal. Meanwhile, the symptoms was improved and swell lymph node disappeared or was reduced markedly in size and the ulcer was healed completely. These findings suggest that the effect of musk-moxa-string therapy is caused by the enhancement of immunological capacity of the patients.

To supply an additional differential diagnostic method for pathological diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and nontuberculous mycobacteria infections in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples by triplex-PCR. Three pairs of oligonucleotide primer were used in triplex-PCR. A 383 bp DNA fragment encoding part of the 65 kD mycobacterial surface antigen, a 123 bp fragment corresponding to a specific Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex sequence which was the insertion sequence 6110 (IS6110) and a 268 bp fragment for human beta-globin were amplified by triplex-PCR respectively. The sensitivity of the triplex-PCR-electrophoresis for the mycobacteria DNA was 0.6 picogram. The specific bands of 383 bp and 123 bp among the amplified DNA from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. bovis, M. bovis BCG and M. simiae were present in the agarose gel. By contrast, only a band of 383 bp was found among the nontuberculosis mycobacteria which contained M. avium, M. chelonae, M. scrofulaceum, M. xenopi, M. kansasii, M. intracellulare and M. smegmatis. Compared with the standard strains, there was an additional 268 bp band in simulated clinic samples infected by mycobacteria, 209 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples of the patients diagnosed as scrofula by clinic doctor at first visit were examined by triplex polymerase chain reaction. Among them, 193 tissue samples of the patients pathologically diagnosed as scrofula, tuberculous granulomatous tissue or tuberculous granulomatous inflammation were positive: the specific hands of 383 bp, 123 bp and 268 bp were present in the agarose gel and this tallied with Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex infection. Of 16 tissue samples of the patients pathologically diagnosed as suspicious scrofula, 15 samples were same positive results and this tallied with Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex infection, too; 1 sample could find the specific bands of 383 bp and 268 bp which were present in the agarose gel and this tallied with nontuberculous mycobacteria infection. The results showed that the triplex-PCR could detect and identify the DNA of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and nontuberculous mycobacteria except M. simiae. It is a valuable detecting method which has high sensitivity and specificity.