In this study, we verified the effectiveness of Kampo medicine by evaluating the changes in the feature values of facial skin texture and microcirculation at two distinct tissue depths (subcutaneous 2 mm and 8 mm). A total of 80 patients who took the Kampo formula participated in this study, and the changes in the feature values of facial skin texture and microcirculation were measured before and after Kampo treatment. The treatment period lasted 6-18 months, according to the doctor's judgment. The total area of the sulci cutis and the average thickness of the sulci cutis significantly decreased (P < 0.05), and the pixels of the grayscale image increased after Kampo treatment (P < 0.05). Moreover, the blood flow velocity at 8 mm depth significantly increased after Kampo treatment (P < 0.05). In this study, we specifically noted changes in the skin texture and microcirculation after Kampo treatment.

The aim of this study was to propose a method to assess images of the tongue captured using a polarized light camera for diagnostic use in Kampo medicine. Glossy and non-glossy images of the tongue were captured simultaneously using a polarizing camera and a polarizing plate. Data augmentation was performed by modulating the color and gloss, resulting in an increase in the number of images from 11 to 275. To create a data set, the values for which diseases were evaluated by Kampo doctors for all tongue images were taken as the correct values and combined with the features extracted from the tongue images. Using this data set, we constructed a diagnostic support module to evaluate diseases. The resulting mean absolute error of the assessment was 0.44 for qi deficiency, 0.42 for blood deficiency, 0.33 for blood stagnation, 0.36 for yin deficiency, and 0.55 for fluid stagnation, suggesting that the diagnostic assistance module was accurate, and our proposed learning and data augmentation methods were effective.

【目的】桂枝茯苓丸加薏苡仁は駆瘀血剤である桂枝茯苓丸に，利水・除痺痛・排膿作用のある薏苡仁を加味した方剤である。瘀血と水滞を病態とする諸症状に応用可能とされ，耳鳴症においても活用可能と考える。今回，耳鳴症への処方例について後方視的に検討する。 【方法】平成25年10月から平成30年10月に当医院を受診し，漢方医学的診断に基づき桂枝茯苓丸加薏苡仁を処方した耳鳴症9例の臨床像と経過について検討した。 【結果】症例の内訳は男性/女性5/4，平均67歳（54—81歳，年齢中央値65歳），経過は治癒/改善/不変/悪化1/6/2/0であった。 【考察】耳鳴症は瘀血と水滞により生じ得る。瘀血・水滞併存の際，桂枝茯苓丸加薏苡仁は単剤で治療可能であり，有効な処方になり得る。

This study is to compare the effect of contacting needle technique (CNT) and insertion needle technique (INT) on cardiovascular dynamics and visual analogue scale (VAS) in patients with shoulder pain. A total of 11 patients (9 females, 2 males, average age 32.27) were recruited and divided into two groups (CNT group and INT group). The treatment was performed once a week and a total of 4 weeks. The changes in cardiovascular circulation dynamics were detected at baseline, during the treatment and after the treatment. Pain was assessed before and after acupuncture therapy. There was significant difference in VAS within each group. There was no significant difference between the two groups on CO, SV, BPs, BPd and VAS, and had significant difference on PR (P < 0.05). PR significantly decreased in both groups, the rate of decrease was significantly higher in the CNT group than that in the INT group.

一般的にがん終末期においては，症状は右肩下がりに悪化し，症状の改善を図ることは非常に困難である。中でも骨転移疼痛のコントロールは難しい。症例は67歳男性，左腎癌右骨盤骨転移にて，緩和的化学療法や疼痛緩和治療が施行されていたが，疼痛コントロールが不十分であった。当初盗汗を主訴に湯液治療を開始し，さらに骨転移疼痛に対する疼痛緩和目的で鍼灸治療の併用を開始した。併用治療により，十分かつ，迅速な疼痛緩和が得られたため報告する。

I1 World Congress for Integrative Medicine & Health 2017 - A global forum for exploring the future of comprehensive patient care Benno Brinkhaus1, Torkel Falkenberg2,3, Aviad Haramati4,5, and Stefan N. Willich1 1Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charite – Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; 2Department of Neurobiology Care Sciences and Society, Division of Nursing, Research Group Integrative Care, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; 3I C – The Integrative Care Science Center, Jarna, Sweden; 4Department of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Georgetown University, Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA; 5Department of Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA We are excited to present the abstracts of the keynote speakers, parallel sessions and oral and poster presentations of the World Congress on Integrative Medicine & Health (WCIMH 2017; http://www.ecim-iccmr.org/2017/) to be held in Berlin on May 3-5, 2017, which will be jointly convened by the European Society of Integrative Medicine (ESIM) and the International Society for Complementary Medicine Research (ISCMR). The Congress will take place in association with a number of national and international organizations from North America and other continents. Consequently, the congress will provide the most comprehensive global forum and perspective in the field of Complementary and Integrative Medicine in 2017. The congress goal is reflected in its tag line: The Future of Comprehensive Patient Care - Strengthening the Alliance of Researchers, Educators and Providers. We believe that by bringing together researchers, educators and providers, who are addressing various aspects of Integrative Medicine and health, we can build on the evidence obtained through research to inform clinical education and practice and thereby create a better platform for comprehensive patient care. The main themes of the Congress are: Clinical care: The practice of Integrative Medicine should be based on distinct definitions, should be informed by evidence and evolve from guidelines that are developed by experts from conventional and complementary medicine. Education: Academic leaders and health officials have called for future clinicians to possess the knowledge and skills to understand how Integrative Medicine can be incorporated into conventional care to improve the health of the public. Therefore, it is essential to share best practices in how to create robust curricular opportunities for medical students to experience systematic teaching of the principles, strengths and limitations of Integrative Medicine. Research: Within this Congress scientists will showcase the highest quality research worldwide in this field and will provide the state-of-the-science evidence base through plenary lectures, symposia and abstract presentations. Traditional healing systems (THS): Traditional healing practices and practitioners are an important and often underestimated part of health care. THS is found in almost every country in the world and the demand for its services is increasing. Research contributing to evidence informed decision making is imperative to develop a cohesive and integrative approach to health care that allows governments, health care practitioners and, most importantly, those who use health care services, to access THS in a safe, respectful, cost-efficient and effective manner. Arts and medicine: For the first time at a research congress, this theme will explore the important contributions of the arts (music, visual arts, dancing, etc,) for integrative therapeutic interventions to achieve optimal health and healing. Given the ambitious scope of this worldwide international congress, the four authors of the present editorial serve as co-presidents and they are guided by the International Organizing Committee consisting of many experts from around the world including Myeong S. Lee, Jianping Liu, Kenji Watanabe (from Far East Asia), Renee Street (Africa), Amie. Steel (Australia), Paulo Arturo Caceres Guido, Chin An Lin (South America), Heather Boon, Josephine Briggs, John Weeks (North America) and Abdullah Al-Bedah, Mohamed Khalil, Elad Schiff (Middle East and Israel). The programming for each of the five themes is directed by WCIMH 2017 theme subcommittees involving some of the most highly regarded clinicians, educators and researchers in the world in this field (in alphabetic order): Linda Balneaves, Lesley Braun, Eva Bojner Horwitz, Gustav Dobos, Jeffery Dusik, David Eisenberg, Iva Fattorini, Eckhart G. Hahn, Suzanne B. Hanser, Frederick Hecht, George Lewith, Harald Matthes, Andreas Michalsen, Judy Rollins, Volker Scheid, Michael Teut, Robert Saper, Claudia M. Witt, Merlin Wilcox and Darong Wu. The Local Organizing Board is coordinated by M. Cree. We are very grateful to all organisations and individuals working diligently to making this first World Congress for Integrative Medicine & Health in 2017 a great success. We are also pleased to announce that the opening welcome will include the Director General for the World Health Organization, Dr Margaret Chan (on video). All plenary speakers are internationally recognized experts in the field of Complementary and Integrative Medicine such as Josephine B Briggs (US) and Merlin Willcox (UK) as keynote speakers for the theme traditional healing systems; Klaus Linde (Ger) and Michael Moore (UK) for the research theme; Lisa M Wong (US) and Tores Theorell (Sweden) will address the theme of arts and medicine; Darong Wu (China) and Jeffery A Dusek (US) are presenting on the theme of clinical care; and Aviad Haramati and David Eisenberg (both US) will close the Congress with presentations on education. In addition, more than 100 oral presentations in over 40 parallel sessions will be in the program to provide newly emerging data from recent research projects, experiences from new treatment aspects in clinical care, descriptions of new models of education in medicine, information about integration of traditional healing systems in health care systems and new aspects on the integration of arts in medicine. In addition, more than 400 posters will be presented in guided poster sessions during the three days of the Congress. To translate the congress goals and objectives into a tangible action for the field, a Berlin Agreement is being developed. With the title ‘Social and Self-responsibility in practicing and fostering Integrate Health and Medicine Globally,’ this document is meant to help shape the future of comprehensive patient care in Integrative Medicine, and addresses the responsibilities of all participants, including patients and citizens, physicians and all colleagues working in the healthcare system. The Berlin Agreement has been developed by the WCIMH 2017 congress presidents and the International Organizing Committee to create a document for further distribution to the scientific and clinical community and to health care stakeholders, decision makers, and politicians. We anticipate having the final version of the Berlin Agreement endorsed by a number of organizations prior to the Congress and also soliciting the support of congress at the WCIMH 2017 in Berlin. Our hope is that this document will provide an important impetus for further engagement world-wide after the Congress has concluded. Immediately before the start of WCIMH 2017 on Wednesday May 3rd 2017 there will be several high-quality pre-conference workshops covering all congress topics. Reflecting the political situation in recent years, especially in Europe, we have arranged for a unique half-day workshop on the topic: “Refugees with Chronic Diseases between the Middle-East and Europe: The Role of Traditional and Integrative Medicine in Bridging Gaps”, The speakers are all from the Middle East and Europe and will address how Integrative Medicine may serve as an important element to overcome the problematic health situation of refugees around the world. We are convinced that the field of Complementary and Integrative Medicine, including traditional healing systems and medicine and the arts, will benefit from The 2017 World Congress on Integrative Medicine & Health—a preeminent scientific international forum that is focused on highlighting advances in these thematic areas. We invite all practitioners, educators and researchers in the field of Integrative Medicine to come together, participate and engage together to make this Congress an exciting meeting for the successful advancement of Integrative Medicine across the globe.

Background. Treating functional gastrointestinal disorders is extremely difficult. We herein report the effect of the oral administration of Ninjinto (NJT, ginseng decoction), a traditional Japanese Kampo medicine, on chronic intestinal failure. Patients and Methods. Seven patients with chronic intestinal failure treated with NJT were evaluated in this study. The primary diseases included chronic intestinal pseudoobstruction (CIPO: n=4), short bowel syndrome (SBS: n=2), and intestinal atresia n=1. All patients orally received NJT extract granules at a dose of 0.3 g/kg BW per day. The treatment outcomes were then assessed according to the patients’ symptoms and consecutive abdominal X-ray findings. Results. The targeted symptoms were abdominal distension in four patients, diarrhea in three patients, and frequent hospitalization due to infections in two patients. An improvement in the symptoms was observed in six of the seven patients, whereas one patient with SBS did not show any improvement. An improvement in an abdominal roentgenogram was observed in the four patients with remarkably dilated bowel loops due to CIPO. Conclusions. NJT may be effective in controlling functional gastrointestinal disorders associated with chronic intestinal failure. The use of Kampo medicine in the field of pediatric surgery may help to improve the quality of life in children suffering from such conditions.

Sarcopenia is characterized by age-associated skeletal muscle atrophy and reduced muscle strength; currently, no pharmaceutical treatment is available. Go-sha-jinki-Gan (GJG) is a traditional Japanese herbal medicine that is used to alleviate various age-related symptoms, especially motor disorders. Here, we investigated the effect of GJG on aging-associated skeletal muscle atrophy by using senescence-accelerated mice (SAMP8). Immunohistochemical and western blotting analyses clearly showed that GJG significantly reduced the loss of skeletal muscle mass and ameliorated the increase in slow skeletal muscle fibers in SAMP8 mice compared to control mice. The expression levels of Akt and GSK-3β, the phosphorylation of FoxO4, and the phosphorylations of AMPK and mitochondrial-related transcription factors such as PGC-1α were suppressed, while the expression of MuRF1 increased in SAMP8 mice, but approximated that in senescence-accelerated aging-resistant (SAMR1) mice after GJG treatment. We demonstrate for the first time that GJG has a therapeutic effect against sarcopenia.

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary MedicineVol. 20, No. 5 Clinical ResearchPotential Effect of Saffron as an Antiplatelet Drug in Patients with Autoimmune DiseasesJunsuke Arimitsu, Keisuke Hagihara, and Keiko OgawaJunsuke ArimitsuSearch for more papers by this author, Keisuke HagiharaSearch for more papers by this author, and Keiko OgawaSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:7 May 2014https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2014.5237.abstractAboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail View article"Potential Effect of Saffron as an Antiplatelet Drug in Patients with Autoimmune Diseases." The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 20(5), p. A90FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited byPotential Nutraceutical Benefits of In Vivo Grown Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) As Analgesic, Anti-inflammatory, Anticoagulant, and Antidepressant in Mice22 October 2020 | Plants, Vol. 9, No. 11 Volume 20Issue 5May 2014 InformationCopyright 2014, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.To cite this article:Junsuke Arimitsu, Keisuke Hagihara, and Keiko Ogawa.Potential Effect of Saffron as an Antiplatelet Drug in Patients with Autoimmune Diseases.The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.May 2014.A90-A90.http://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2014.5237.abstractPublished in Volume: 20 Issue 5: May 7, 2014PDF download

BACKGROUND/AIMS:Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but have several side effects including mucosal damage in the small intestine. We aimed to evaluate whether the small bowel injury is ameliorated by switching from nonselective NSAIDs to celecoxib in patients with RA.METHODS:Sixteen patients with RA who were treated with nonselective NSAIDs were enrolled in this study. Nonselective NSAIDs were converted to celecoxib for 12 weeks. Capsule endoscopy was performed before and after treatment with celecoxib. Videos were screened by gastroenterologists blinded to the patients' treatment.RESULTS:Before the administration of celecoxib, reddened folds, denuded areas, petechiae/red spots and mucosal breaks were observed in 63, 63, 88 and 69% of the patients, respectively. In the 14 patients who completed this study, conversion to celecoxib significantly reduced the number of petechiae/red spots, the number of mucosal breaks, and Lewis scores. RA activity and cytokine levels in the peripheral blood were not significantly different before and after treatment with celecoxib.CONCLUSIONS:The incidence of small bowel injury by nonselective NSAIDs is high in patients with RA. Conversion from nonselective NSAIDs to celecoxib can be useful for protecting patients with RA from small bowel injury.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) presents stiffness of extremities due to sclerosis of the tissue especially at fingers, hands, and forearms. Here we report the case of a patient with diffuse cutaneous SSc who was administered anti-interleukin-6 receptor antibody tocilizumab (TCZ). Skin condition of SSc is evaluated by pinching the skin according to the Rodnan skin score, but sometimes tissue atrophy results in overestimation of the condition. To understand how the extremities softened after initiation of TCZ, we observed mobility of extremities. Range of motion (ROM) of joints was measured every four months after initiation of TCZ. The patient presented not only reduction of Rodnan score but also amelioration of mobility of extremities. The Rodnan skin score reduced from 35 to 7 within sixteen months, and ROM of most joints except ankle was expanded.

STAT3 p300 in transcriptional the human SAA gene forming a transcriptional complex with NF−κB p65 and p300 on the SAA promoter region. However, it still remains to be determined how STAT3 binds to the promoter region of the SAA1 gene, because no typical STAT3 RE has been located. To ad‐ dress we performed DNA affinity chromatography using a wt SAA1 probe. We hy‐ pothesized the formation of a STAT3-NF-κB p65 complex confer STAT3 SAA1 our result γ-fibrinogen, we 3' site of NF-κB RE STAT3 NF-κB RE STAT3. STAT3 IL-1β IL-6 SAA1

OBJECTIVES:It has been reported that postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) in patients over 60 years of age is aggravated under cold stimulation and is often difficult to treat. Keishikajutsubuto (TJ-18) and Bushi-matsu (TJ-3022) are traditional Japanese herbal medicines and have long been used to treat neuralgia and arthralgia, which are aggravated following cold stimulation. This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of combined TJ-18 and TJ-3022 therapy in cases of PHN aggravated by self-reported cold stimulation.DESIGN:Fifteen (15) PHN patients aged 60 years and over were examined. Patients were aware of the persistent pain despite other treatments; pain was generally aggravated following exposure to cold stimulation. First, TJ-18 (7.5 g/day) was administered to patients, and then TJ-3022 (1.0 g/day) was also administered and progressively increased by 0.5-1.0 g increments every 2-4 weeks, until stable improvement was achieved, which was rated using the visual analogue scale (VAS). Analgesic effects were evaluated using the VAS during each patient visit.OUTCOME MEASURES:Background variables, responses to treatment (time course of VAS rating, VAS improvement rate), the amount of additional TJ-3022 administered, and adverse reactions were analyzed.RESULTS:Twelve (12) of the 15 patients completed the entire trial. Patient ages were 61-85 years, the male-to-female ratio was 4:8, and length of time after onset of herpes zoster was 2-92 months. In 3 patients, oral TJ-18 treatment was not possible due to hot flash or gastric discomfort. The VAS improvement rate for patients being orally administered both TJ-18 and TJ-3022 was 76.5±27.7% (mean±standard deviation). The additional TJ-3022 dose was 1.0-5.0 g/day. Twelve (12) patients have been treated without serious adverse reactions.CONCLUSIONS:TJ-18 and TJ-3022 combination treatment is a promising means of treating intractable PHN, which has a self-reported tendency to aggravate pain under cold stimulation.

サフランは，駆瘀血剤として使用される。瘀血は西洋医学的な病態で考えると，血液の粘稠度亢進と微小循環障害と解釈できる。今回我々は，サフランの臨床的な駆瘀血効果を観察し，血小板活性化の指標である，platelet factor4（PF-4）とbeta-thromboglobulin（β-TG）を瘀血のマーカーとして検討した。リウマチ膠原病アレルギー患者71人（女性66人，男性5人，平均年齢52.3 ± 16.1歳）にサフラン（300mg∼900mg）を投与し，78.7％（n＝37/47）の自覚症状の改善を認めた。投与前後での血漿中PF-4，β-TGともそれぞれ有意な改善を認めた（PF-4：49.6 ± 29.8→24.0 ± 19.6，β-TG：117.5 ± 64.0→64.6 ± 47.1，paired t-test, p

Objective. SSc is an autoimmune disease characterized by fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. Although the aetiology remains uncertain, many reports have suggested that IL-6 is involved in SSc pathogenesis. Tocilizumab, an anti-IL-6 receptor antibody, is an anti-arthritis medicine that works through the blockade of IL-6 functions. To examine the effect of tocilizumab on SSc, we administered tocilizumab to two SSc patients. Methods. Two dcSSc patients were administered tocilizumab at 8 mg/kg once a month for 6 months. One patient had pulmonary fibrosis assessed by CT and spirometry, and the other had chronic renal failure caused by scleroderma renal crisis. Their skin condition was monitored with a Vesmeter and the modified Rodnan total skin score (mRTSS). Skin biopsies were obtained before and after the tocilizumab treatment to investigate the histological changes. Results. After tocilizumab treatment, both patients showed softening of the skin with reductions of 50.7 and 55.7% in the total z-score of Vesmeter hardness and 51.9 and 23.0% in the mRTSS, respectively. Histological examination showed thinning of the collagen fibre bundles in the dermis. The creatinine clearance in the patient with chronic renal failure improved from 38 to 55 ml/min. However, the fibrotic changes in the lung in the other patient remained unchanged. Conclusions. In the two cases of SSc that we report here, softening of the skin was observed during the treatment with tocilizumab.

Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) production is a critical step of antituberculosis (anti-TB) immune response. The purpose of this study was to determine the influences of biologics, including the interleukin (IL)-6 receptor-inhibitor tocilizumab (TCZ), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists infliximab (INF) and etanercept (ETA), on Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) antigen-induced IFN-γ production. MTB antigen (ESAT-6 and CFP-10)-induced IFN-γ-releasing assay was performed with or without addition of biologics (TCZ, ETA, and INF) using whole blood from patients with active TB. ETA and INF inhibited IFN-γ production in a dose-dependent manner. In whole blood from TB patients, ESAT-6 stimulated significant production of IFN-γ (1.30 ± 1.95 IU/ml), and TCZ did not inhibit IFN-γ production (1.56 ± 1.88 IU/ml). IFN-γ production by ESAT-6 was inhibited by ETA and INF (0.98 ± 1.74, 0.75 ± 1.66 IU/ml, respectively). CFP-10 stimulated significant production of IFN-γ (1.46 ± 1.60 IU/ml), and TCZ did not inhibit IFN-γ production (1.51 ± 1.77 IU/ml). IFN-γ production by CFP-10 was inhibited by ETA and INF (0.91 ± 0.99, 0.72 ± 0.88 IU/ml, respectively). TCD did not inhibit MTB antigen-induced IFN-γ production. As IFN-γ production is important in antimycobacterial host defenses, the minimal influence of TCZ on IFN-γ-releasing assay suggests a low risk of latent TB infection reactivation during tocilizumab therapy.