Blood stasis is one of the important pathological concepts in Korean medicine. We analyzed the Korean studies concerning blood stasis. We searched for articles in eight electronic databases from their inception to September, 2014. We included reviews, clinical studies, and preclinical studies that had studied blood stasis and excluded articles in which blood stasis was not mentioned or in which the original authors had not explained blood stasis. Of 211 total included studies, 19 were reviews, 52 were clinical studies, and 140 were preclinical articles. “Stagnant blood within the body” was the most frequently mentioned phrase of the traditional concept of blood stasis. Traumatic injury was the most frequently studied disease/condition in the clinical studies. In the preclinical studies, coagulopathy was studied most frequently, followed by hyperviscosity, hyperlipidemia, inflammation, neoplasm, ischemic brain injury, and atherosclerosis. Hyeolbuchukeo-tang and Angelicae Gigantis Radix were the most frequent formula and single herb, respectively, used in the blood stasis researches. The results showed that blood stasis was mainly recognized as disorder of circulation and many studies showed the effectiveness of activating blood circulating herbs for diseases and pathologies such as traumatic injury or coagulopathy. Further studies are needed in the pathologic mechanisms and various diseases of blood stasis.

The vaccination program against the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus (2009 H1N1) provided a unique opportunity to determine if immune responses to the 2009 H1N1 vaccine were affected by a recent, prior vaccination against seasonal influenza virus. In the present study, we studied the immune responses to the 2009 H1N1 vaccine in subjects who either received the seasonal influenza virus vaccination within the prior 3 months or did not. Following 2009 H1N1 vaccination, subjects previously given a seasonal influenza virus vaccination exhibited significantly lower antibody responses, as determined by hemagglutination inhibition assay, than subjects who had not received the seasonal influenza virus vaccination. This result is compatible with the phenomenon of “original antigenic sin,” by which previous influenza virus vaccination hampers induction of immunity against a new variant. Our finding should be taken into account for future vaccination programs against pandemic influenza virus outbreaks.

Poor ovarian response (POR) is one reason for infertility. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is frequently used to help achieve pregnancy, and performing acupuncture before IVF may promote ovulation and reduce egg retrieval pain. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture on clinical pregnancy rates (CPR) after IVF in women with POR. Eight electronic databases were searched in January 2020, and reference lists of retrieved articles and previous review articles were hand-searched. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using any type of acupuncture for women with POR undergoing IVF were considered. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias standards. Three RCTs were included in this review. CPR and the number of retrieved oocytes were measured in two studies, while the values of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC) were only reported in one study. In two studies, CPR was higher in the intervention group than the control group [37.8 % vs 24.3 %]. We did not conduct a meta-analysis, as there was a high level of heterogeneity in interventions among the included trials. This study suggests that acupuncture may improve CPR, AMH, AFC and the number of retrieved oocytes in women with POR undergoing IVF. However it is difficult to conclude that acupuncture is more effective than conventional treatment. Additionally, more clinical trials are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture on CPR and other outcomes of POR. PROSPERO CRD42018087813; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42018087813.

Purpose: Most patients with cancer undergo multiple administrations of anticancer drugs during treatment, resulting in chronic impairment of their reproductive health. As improved treatment options increase cancer survival, it has become increasingly important to address fertility issues in cancer survivors. In this study, we examined the pathophysiological effects of multiple exposures to cyclophosphamide (Cy) on the ovaries of mice and their underlying molecular mechanism. Methods: Female C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally injected with 100 mg/kg Cy six times over 2 weeks; 4 weeks later, the mice were sacrificed and their ovaries, sera, and oocytes were collected for histological observation, measurement of anti-Müllerian hormone levels, and assessment of oocyte quantity and quality in response to hormonal stimulation. Gene expression changes in Cy-treated ovaries were examined by microarray and bioinformatics analyses. Results: After repeated Cy exposure, the anti-Müllerian hormone level was decreased, and follicle loss and impairments in the quality of oocyte were irreversible. The expression levels of genes involved in folliculogenesis, oogenesis, and zona pellucida glycoprotein transcription displayed sustained alterations in Cy-exposed ovaries even after 4 weeks. Conclusion: The adverse effects of Cy on ovarian function and oocytes remained even after chemotherapy was complete. Therefore, strategies to prevent ovarian damage or restore ovarian function after treatment are required to safeguard the fertility of young cancer survivors.