A Case Report: The Effect of Thread Embedding Acupuncture on Partly-Controlled Asthma

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the respiratory tract where many cells and cellular elements play a role, especially eosinophils, IgE, and other components. Uncontrolled asthma causes the quality of the patient's life to decline. Acupuncture is one of the complementary therapies that are scientifically proven to help cure asthma. Many studies have proven that acupuncture plays a role in the anti-inflammatory process. In this case report, we used the acupuncture method of thread embedding penetration from point EX-B1 to BL13, LI11, ST36, and BL23 on both sides. Acupuncture therapy is done once when the patient first arrives. The results after 3 months observations showed that patients experienced an improvement in eosinophil count, decreased level of IgE, and increased Asthma Control Test values. The improvement showed patients were fully controlled in the first month until the end of the evaluation. Therefore, thread embedding could be a good, safe, and effective treatment for asthma in adults.Keywords: asthma, thread embedding acupuncture, anti-inflammation

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Rituximab Treatment in a Patient with Kimura Disease and Membranous Nephropathy: Case Report

Case Reports in Nephrology and Dialysis ◽

10.1159/000515644 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 116-123

Author(s):

Roald Vissing-Uhre ◽

Alastair Hansen ◽

Susanne Frevert ◽

Ditte Hansen

Keyword(s):

Case Report ◽

Membranous Nephropathy ◽

Neck Region ◽

Renal Diseases ◽

Kimura’S Disease ◽

Inflammatory Disorder ◽

Kimura Disease ◽

Chronic Inflammatory Disorder ◽

Eosinophil Granulocytes ◽

Anti Cd20

Kimura disease (KD) is a chronic, inflammatory disorder with slowly developing subcutaneous tumor-like swellings, often occurring in the head and neck region. KD is diagnosed based on histology, elevated levels of immunoglobulin type E, and increased peripheral eosinophil granulocytes. KD may coexist with glomerular renal diseases, and this case report is based on a patient with KD-associated membranous nephropathy. Patients with membranous nephropathy without KD have demonstrated responsiveness to treatment with monoclonal anti-CD20 antibodies. This case report is the first to investigate the effect of rituximab treatment in a patient with KD-associated membranous nephropathy. A 30-year-old Italian man living in Denmark was diagnosed with Kimura’s disease based on subcutaneous nodules with eosinophil angiolymphoid hyperplasia. The patient was admitted to the hospital due to nephrotic syndrome. Serology showed eosinophil granulocytosis and negative PLA2-receptor antibody. Renal biopsy showed membranous nephropathy, and the patient was treated with systemic methylprednisolone followed by cyclosporin and then cyclophosphamide with only partial remission. Ultimately, treatment with intravenous rituximab was initiated, which resulted in overall remission and no nephrotic relapses at 30 months of follow-up. Thus, intravenous rituximab effectively decreased proteinuria and prevented nephrotic relapses in a patient with treatment-refractory membranous nephropathy due to KD.

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Prevalence and impact of allergic rhinitis in school going children

International Journal of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery ◽

10.18203/issn.2454-5929.ijohns20211565 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (5) ◽

pp. 760

Author(s):

Sucheta Gupta ◽

Vinod Gupta ◽

Akhil Gupta

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Allergic Rhinitis ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Community Health Center ◽

Medical Intervention ◽

House Dust Mites ◽

Inflammatory Disorder ◽

Chronic Inflammatory Disorder ◽

Co Morbidity

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a chronic inflammatory disorder affecting the nasal mucosa. There is negative impact of AR on several aspects of day to day living and quality of life (QoL), which include: daily functioning, sleep, absenteeism, school productivity and academic performance. Almost 40% of children are being affected by AR.Method: An observational study was conducted on randomly selected 100 parents of school going children aging 2 to 15 years, attending OPD in community health center, Chenani, district Udhampur, J and K, for a period of one year from June 2018 to Nov 2018. Children having frequent episodes of allergic rhinitis were enquired about their history of sneezing, runner itchy nose and eyes, thick mucus, nasal blockage or breathless with associated symptoms were selected.Results: 81% of subjects had a worse problem during specific months of the year; and 67% had itchy-watery eyes. In 15% of subjects, AR impacted daily activities. A prevalence of 28% for nasal symptoms and 14% for allergic rhino-conjunctivitis was found. Study also showed significantly higher proportion of blockers (61%) than sneeze runners (39%). 56% children had one or more co morbidity, whereas 44% had ‘nil’ co-morbidities. The most common allergens were: pollens (grass, trees and weeds), house dust mites, pets, molds, fungi and food.Conclusions: AR adversely affects quality of life of patients and furthermore studies should be conducted for more clarity on the subject, besides a timely medical intervention and treatment could possibly avoid the rising morbidity associated with the disease.

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Assessment of disease control in patients with asthma

Medicina ◽

10.3390/medicina45120121 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 45 (12) ◽

pp. 943 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Guoda Pilkauskaitė ◽

Kęstutis Malakauskas ◽

Raimundas Sakalauskas

Keyword(s):

Lung Function ◽

Asthma Control ◽

Control Level ◽

Asthma Management ◽

Control Test ◽

Uncontrolled Asthma ◽

Asthma Control Test ◽

Inhaled Steroids ◽

Asthma Patients ◽

Β2 Agonists

International guidelines indicate that the main criterion of asthma management is asthma control level. The aim of this study was to assess asthma control and its relation with age, gender, and lung function. Material and methods. A total of 106 family physicians and 13 pulmonologists and allergists took part in this study. Each doctor had selected 10–15 asthma patients and had sent invitations to them by post. On the visit day, the patients themselves filled in the Asthma Control Test. The doctors interviewed the patients and filled in a special questionnaire. Pulmonologists and allergists also assessed lung function by performing spirometry. According to the results of the Asthma Control Test, the disease control level was indicated as “totally controlled” (25 points), “well controlled” (24–20 points), and “uncontrolled” (19 points or less). Results. A total of 876 asthma patients were examined. Uncontrolled asthma was diagnosed to 56.2% of the patients, 36.5% of patients had well controlled and 7.3% totally controlled asthma. There was no significant difference in asthma control level comparing men and women. A correlation between asthma control level and age was found revealing poorer asthma control in older patients. Ninety-five percent of patients were treated with inhaled steroids; most of them had used inhaled steroids in combination with long-acting β2 agonists. It was found that lung function correlated with clinical symptoms of asthma, the demand of shortacting β2 agonists, and asthma control level. Conclusion. The study showed that uncontrolled asthma was diagnosed to more than half of the patients, despite most of them used inhaled steroids. Asthma control was worsening with the age of patients with asthma and it correlated with lung function. We suggest that periodical assessment of asthma control should help to optimize asthma management.

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Factors affecting asthma psychomorbidity, control and illness-related quality of life: what is the interaction?

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(11)73449-6 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 26 (S2) ◽

pp. 1745-1745

Author(s):

N. Pilipenko ◽

M. Karekla

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Asthma Control ◽

Research Literature ◽

Smoking History ◽

Inflammatory Disorder ◽

Chronic Inflammatory Disorder ◽

Asthma Patients ◽

Related Quality ◽

The Impact

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways, ounknown etiology and growing prevalence (GINA, 2009). Appropriate asthma management can control the disorder and enable patients to enjoy a good quality of life (WHO, 2007).Yet, many asthma patients are unable to maintain asthma control (Rabe et al., 2003) for various reasons, including psychological ones (Feldman et al., 2005).This study examined the prevalence of psychomorbidity, and its interaction with asthma control difficulties and asthma-related quality of life in a sample of 200 asthma patients in Cyprus. Asthma diagnoses and severity were established by medical chart review.Psychomorbidity was evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire (Spitzer, 1999). Additionally, the impact of asthma-specific (e.g. asthma knowledge), health-specific (e.g. smoking history) and socio-demographic (e.g. perceived poverty) factors was examined as prior research literature suggests these may significantly impact asthma control and asthma-related quality of life.Currently, the present study is in its final stages of data collection (to conclude 2010). The results will offer valuable insights into the mechanisms and factors which affect asthma control, quality of life, and psychomorbidity. In doing so, the present study will contribute to the improved understanding of asthma patients’ experiences, essential to guide medical and psychological interventions.

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Lichen Sclerosus Atrophicus [LSA] in the Areolae: A Case Report

Case Reports in Dermatological Medicine ◽

10.1155/2012/825963 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-3 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

L. Padmavathy ◽

L. Lakshmana Rao ◽

M. Dhana Lakshmi ◽

N. Sylvester ◽

N. Ethirajan

Keyword(s):

Case Report ◽

Lichen Sclerosus ◽

Inflammatory Disorder ◽

Unknown Aetiology ◽

Chronic Inflammatory Disorder ◽

Anogenital Area

Lichen sclerosus (LS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of an unknown aetiology most commonly affecting the anogenital area. However, extragenital involvement also occurs uncommonly. A case of extra-genital LS involving the areolae of both breasts, in a 15-year-old boy, is reported for its rarity.

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Hubungan Kadar Periostin Serum dan Nilai Asthma Control Test pada Pasien Asma di RSUD Dr. Soetomo Surabaya

Jurnal Respirasi ◽

10.20473/jr.v4-i.2.2018.33-37 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 33

Author(s):

Ni Made Dwita Yaniswari ◽

Muhammad Amin

Keyword(s):

Asthma Control ◽

Matrix Protein ◽

Extracellular Matrix Protein ◽

Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽

Control Test ◽

Uncontrolled Asthma ◽

Asthma Control Test ◽

Asthmatic Patients ◽

Act Score ◽

Serum Periostin

Background: Asthma is a heterogenous disease composed of various phenotype. Chronic airway inflammation are fundamental features of asthma. The main treatment of asthma is corticosteroid. The administration of inhaled corticosteroids will reduce the inflammatory process in asthma. Even with adequate inhaled corticosteroid treatment, there are still patients who develop symptoms with lower asthma control test score. Periostin is an extracellular matrix protein as the best single systemic biomarker for assessing tissue eosinophilia, airway remodeling in uncontrolled asthma. The objective of this study was to examine whether serum periostin is correlated with ACT in asthmatic patients. Methods: This research was an observational analytical with cross sectional design conducted in outpatient clinic Dr. Soetomo General Hospital Surabaya for 3 months. In total, we found 40 asthmatic patients who were qualified to the inclusion and exclusion criteria as the research samples. The questionnaire was filled in to assess the Asthma Control Test and venous blood tests to measure serum periostin levels using Sandwich Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method. Results: The mean periostin level profile of the sample was 94.82 ± 19.21 ng/ml and the median was 94.7 ng/ml. The average ACT score was 16.55 ± 2.93 with 85% were uncontrolled asthma. The results of the independent t-test showed serum periostin levels and the level of asthma control based on ACT score in asthmatics patients had a significant correlation (p = 0.024). Conclusion: There is a significant correlation between serum periostin levels and ACT score in asthmatic patients.

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Kimura's Disease: A Rare Cause of Postauricular Swelling

Bengal Journal of Otolaryngology and Head Neck Surgery ◽

10.47210/bjohns.2017.v25i1.113 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 59-61 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Suman Kumar Das ◽

Mukesh Kumar Singh ◽

Indranath Kundu ◽

Swapan Kumar Ghosh

Keyword(s):

Case Report ◽

Lymph Node ◽

Indian Population ◽

Disease Patient ◽

Invasive Procedure ◽

Excision Biopsy ◽

High Dose ◽

Kimura’S Disease ◽

Inflammatory Disorder ◽

Chronic Inflammatory Disorder

Introduction Kimura’s Disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder of lymph node which is very rare in Indian population. Case Report A 15 year old boy with multiple postauricular swelling for 18 months presenting in OPD and diagnosed having eosinophilia. Then excision biopsy was taken, which indicates Kimura’s Disease. Patient was treated with high dose of corticosteroid. Conclusion Kimura’s disease, though rare should be kept in mind for treating a patient with lymphadenopathy with eosinophilia or high IgE level, because it can spare the patient unnecessary invasive procedure.

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Efficacy of air purifier therapy for patients with allergic asthma

10.21203/rs.2.11196/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Jiaying LUO ◽

Zhao Chen ◽

Li-li Ou ◽

Xin-yuan Lin ◽

Hai-cheng Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Treatment Group ◽

Allergic Asthma ◽

Asthma Control ◽

Control Group ◽

Control Test ◽

Asthma Control Test ◽

Air Purifier ◽

Der P1

Abstract Background and Objectives: The prevalence of allergic disease, which has a severely negative effect on patients' quality of life, has been increasing in recent years. Environmental intervention is internationally regarded as a feasible method for controlling asthma. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of air purifier therapy for patients with allergic asthma. Methods: In total, 38 subjects were divided into a treatment group and a control group. All subjects were under the age of eighteen years and had been clinically diagnosed with allergic asthma. The treatment group used High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) air purifiers for six consecutive months, and the control group did not use the air filters. Particulate matter (PM) data and dust samples (bedding and a static point) were collected from the subjects' bedrooms before they started to use the air purifiers and each month thereafter. Simultaneously, the subjects were asked to complete a questionnaire for the Asthma Control Test (ACT) or Childhood Asthma Control Test (C-ACT). Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) tests were performed at the start and end of the study. The concentrations of Der p1 and Der f1 were measured in the dust samples. Results: 1. After utilizing an air purifier, the concentrations of house dust mite (HDM) allergens (Der p1+ Der f1) in the bedding and static samples decreased by 68.3% and 71.0%, respectively. In addition, the PMindoor/outdoor levels significantly decreased. 2. The ACT and C-ACT scores in the treatment group maintained a steady significant upward trend. 3. At the end of the study, the FENO levels in both groups were lower, although the differences were not significant. Conclusions: HEPA air purifiers are able to decrease indoor HDM allergen and PM levels and improve quality of life in allergic asthma patients.

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Retraining in a Female Elite Rower with Persistent Symptoms Post-Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: A Proof-of-Concept Case Report

Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology ◽

10.3390/jfmk4020024 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 24 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sarah Mottram ◽

Martin Warner ◽

Nadine Booysen ◽

Katie Bahain-Steenman ◽

Maria Stokes

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Case Report ◽

Physical Therapy ◽

Movement Control ◽

Control Test ◽

Proof Of Concept ◽

Elite Rower ◽

Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome ◽

Hip Flexion

Athletes with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) managed arthroscopically do not always return to sport. Inability to control back/pelvis, hip and lower limb movements may contribute to the onset and recurrence of symptoms. Our hypothesis is that results from a battery of cognitive movement control tests can inform a cognitive movement control (neuromuscular) retraining programme for improving the clinical presentation and quality of life in an athlete with FAIS. This case report presents a female elite rower with persistent left-sided anterior hip pain, four years post-arthroscopic surgery for FAIS, whose symptoms failed to respond to conventional physical therapy. Hip and groin outcome score (HAGOS), passive and active hip flexion range of motion (ROM) workload (time training on water), hip and pelvic kinematics (3-D motion analysis) and electromyography during a seated hip flexion movement control test, and a movement control test battery to identify movement control impairments (The Foundation Matrix), were assessed pre-intervention (week 0) and immediately post-intervention (week 16). Impaired movement control was targeted in a tailored 16-week cognitive movement control retraining exercise program. All measures improved: HAGOS (all 6 sub-scales); symptoms (61/100 pre-training to 96/100 post-training); physical activities participation (13/100 to 75/100); and active hip flexion ROM increased (78 to 116 and 98 to 118 degrees, respectively); workload increased from 4 to 18 h/week; and movement control impairment reduced (25/50 to 9/50). Pelvic motion on kinematic analysis were altered, and delayed activation onset of tensor fascia latae and rectus femoris muscles reduced. This proof-of-concept case report supports the hypothesis that cognitive movement control tests can inform a targeted cognitive movement control retraining program to improve symptoms, function and quality of life, in an elite rower with persistent hip pain. This training offers an alternative approach to conventional physical therapy, which has failed to restore function in FAIS, and the present study illustrates how specific cognitive movement control assessment can direct individual training programmes.

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