Table 2.
Characteristics of included studies.
| First author, year of publication | Patient admission time | AR diagnostic and outcome evaluative criteria | Number T/C (M/F) | Age (range/mean± SD) (T/C) | Course of the disease (range/mean± SD) (T/C) | Types of intervention | Acupoint selection of intervention | Intervention (frequency and treatment duration) | Control (dosage on prescription and treatment duration) | Outcome observation time | Outcome measure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chen et al., 2015 [35] | From May 2013 to December 2013 | A1/A7 | (17/17)/(14/18) | (40 ± 9) y/(40 ± 1) y | (6.8 ± 4.4) y/(7.1 ± 4.3) y | MA | GV20, EX-HN3, LI20, LI4, LR3, BL18, BL20, BL13, BL23, DU14 | 20 min, 3 times per week for 8 weeks | Cetirizine, 10 mg, qd, 8 w | After treatment finished | Total effective rates |
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| Fang and Shi, 2015 [36] | NR | A1/A6 | (16/15)/(15/16) | (39 ± 16) y/(42 ± 14) y | (5.12 ± 3.50) y/(6.80 ± 4.15) y | MA | EX-HN3, LI20, GB20, DU14, DU13, DU12, LI4, ST36 | 30 min, 5 times per week for 4 weeks | Loratadine, 10 mg, qd, 4 w | After treatment finished | Total effective rates |
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| Ou et al., 2014 [37] | From July 2010 to January 2013 | A4/A4 | (12/21)/(10/23) | (29 ± 3) y/(28 ± 4) y | (6.6 ± 3.1) y/(5.80 ± 4.1) y | MA | EX-HN8, EX-HN3, LI20 plus point selection treatment based on syndrome differentiation | 30 min, once a day, 0 times a course, two courses, 3–5 days' rest between the two courses | Desloratadine dry suspension, 5 mg, qd, 20 d | After treatment finished | Total effective rates |
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| Xia et al., 2012 [38] | From October 2008 to March 2012 | A1/A5 | (20/37)/(28/27) | 35.2 y/36.4 y | 2.02 y/1.99 y | MA | LI20, EX-HN8, EX-HN3, LI4 plus point selection treatment based on syndrome differentiation | 20 min, 3 times per week for 4 weeks | Cetirizine, 10 mg, qd, 4 w | After treatment finished | Total effective rates |
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| Huang, 2012[39] | NR | A5/A5 | (13/21)/(15/21) | (36.54 ± 16.2) y/(37.87 ± 15.68) y | (10.79 ± 5.58) y/(9.87 ± 6.35) y | MA | LI20, LI4, ST36 | 30 min, 20 days | Cetirizine, 10 mg, qd, 4 w | After treatment finished | Total effective rates, adverse effects |
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| Zhang, 2012 [40] | NR | A1/A6 | (13/17)/(15/15) | (10.25 ± 2.56) y/(11.12 ± 2.12) y | NR | San-Fu-Tie | DU14, bilateral (BL13, BL20, LI4) | In the annual “Sanfu” and “Sanjiu” apply, a year 6 times | Dermatophagoides farinae drops, sublingual, use 1–4 drops successively, 1 year | After treatment finished | Total effective rates |
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| Shi, 2011 [41] | NR | A6/A6 | (15/15)/(18/12) | (20–56) y/(19–58) y | 2y-6 y | AHP | DU14, bilateral (BL13, BL17, ST36) | Keep patching 3–6 h, 15 days | Cetirizine, 10 mg, qd, 15 days | After treatment finished | Total effective rates |
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| Mi and Yu, 2011 [42] | NR | A6/A6 | 49/44 | (37.14 ± 13.63) y | (4.41 ± 2.30) y | AHP | BL13, BL21, BL20, BL12, BL43, BL23, EX-B1, BL15 | Once every 10 days, keep patching 1-2 h, 9 times | Budesonide nasal spray (rhinocort), each nostril 1 spray, bid, 60 days | After treatment finished and 3 months after the end | Total effective rates |
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| Wu et al., 2005 [43] | NR | A4/A4 | 179/160 | (3–71) y | (1–35) y | AHP | DU14, BL12 | Once every 10 days, keep patching 10 h, 4 times | Desensitization treatment | After treatment finished and relapse rate after 2 months of treatment | Total effective rates |
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| Zhuang and Wu, 1997 [44] | NR | A4/A6 | 106/94 | (3–71) y | (1–35) y | AHP | DU14, BL12 | Once every 10 days, keep patching 10 h, 4 times | Desensitization treatment | After treatment finished | Total effective rates |
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| Gu et al., 2012 [45] | NR | A6/A6 | 34/46 | (10–72) y | 1 y–32 y | ACE | EX-HN3, LI20, EX-HN8, DU14, BL13, BL23, LI11, ST36 | Once every 15 days, 4 times | Cetirizine, 10 mg, qd, 28 d | After treatment finished | Total effective rates |
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| Liu, 2012 [46] | From October 2011 to January 2012 | A5/A5 | (10/2)/(12/20) | NR | (5.72 ± 4.62) y/(5.25 ± 3.40) y | ACE | (First, LI20, EX-HN3, LI4, Second, LI11, ST36) | Once every 2 weeks for 4 weeks | Triamcinolone acetonide nasal spray, each nostril 2 spray, bid, 4 w | After treatment finished | Total effective rates, adverse effects |
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| Feng, 2008 [47] | NR | A5/A5 | (10/18)/(9/16) | (18–56) y/(19–56) y | (1–10) y | ACE | SI19, BL13, ST36 | Once every ten days, 6 times | Loratadine, 10 mg, qd, 42 days | After treatment finished and 3 months after treatment finished | Total effective rates, adverse effects |
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| Huang, 2012 [48] | From December 2008 to October 2010 | A9/A2 | 100/100 | NR | NR | San-Fu-Tie | BL13, BL20, ST36 | Sanfu, first day of each fu/Keep patching 3–4 h, 3 fus | Beclomethasone dipropionate aqueous nasal spray, each nostril 2 spray, bid-tid, ten weeks | After treatment finished | Total effective rates |
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| Kong, 2010 [49] | From May 2006 to October 2009 | A12/A2 | (32/18)/(30/20) | 35.3/36 | 6.5 y/6.8 y | San-Fu-Tie | BL11, BL12, BL20, BL43, BL13, DU9 | Sanfu, first day of each fu/keep patching 4–6 h, 3 fus | Cetirizine, 10 mg, qd, 15 days | After treatment finished | Total effective rates |
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| Liang et al., 2019 [50] | From June 2016 to June 2018 | A1/A5 | (29/31)/(28/32) | (38.92 ± 12.86)y/(42.77 ± 11.13)y | (4.88 ± 6.61) y/(4.58 ± 5.83) y | MA | EX-HN8, EX-HN3, LI20 | 40 minutes , once every other day, 10 times | Loratadine, 10 mg, qd, 20 days | After treatment finished | Total effective rates, adverse effects |
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| Li et al., 2019 [51] | From March 2017 to May 2018 | A10/A11 | (20/17)/(19/19) | (36.65 ± 2.19) y/(38.35 ± 2.31) y | (10.43 ± 1.08) m/(10.84 ± 1.05) m | MA | EX-HN9, Bi qiu | Once a day for 20 min each time for 14 days | Loratadine, 10 mg, qd, 14 days | After treatment finished | Total effective rates |
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| Feng et al., 2018 [52] | From March 2015 to October 2017 | A1/A5 | (16/20)/(15/20) | 30.3 y/30 y | 5.4 y/5.3 y | SG | Sphenopalatine ganglion | Once a week for 4 weeks | Cetirizine, 10 mg, qd, 4 weeks | After treatment finished | Total effective rates |
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| Wang and Leng, 2017 [53] | From December 2014 to December 2015 | A13/A5 | (29/21)/(15/21) | (37.11 ± 8.34) y/(36.54 ± 7.42) y | (3.76 ± 1.04) y/(4.02 ± 1.13) y | MA | EX-HN8, LI4, LI20, DU23, ST36 | 30 minutes | Loratadine, 10 mg, qd, 4 weeks | After treatmentfinished | Total effective rates |
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| Wang, 2016 [54] | From 2012 to 2013 | A14/A8 | (26/24)/(27/23) | (42.3 ± 5.5) y/(41.4 ± 5.6) y | (5.3 ± 1.5) y/(5.4 ± 1.2) y | San-Fu-Tie | DU14, BL13, BL43, BL23, RN17 | Sanfu, first day of each fu/keep patching 4–6 h, 3 fus | Beclometasone dipropionate aqueous nasal spray, each nostril 1 spray, bid, | After treatment finished | Total effective rates, adverse effects |
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| Liu, 2014 [55] | NR | A1/A2 | (29/21)/(27/23) | (6.2 ± 1.3) y/(6.8 ± 1.8) y | (11.0 ± 3.0) m/(12.0 ± 3.1) m | AHP | BL13, BL17, RN17 | Keep patching 12 hours and 3 days, once every 2 weeks, 3 times | Cetirizine syrup, qd, 6 weeks | After treatment finished | Total effective rates |
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| Wei, 2019 [56] | From June 2016 to October 2017 | A1/A1 | (16/14)/(18/12) | (42 ± 8.31)y/(40 ± 10.82)y | (14.28 ± 31.46)m/(13.57 ± 29.45)m | ACE | Sphenopalatine ganglion and superior cervical ganglion, EX-HN8, BL13, LI11, ST36 | Once every 2 weeks, 2 times | Loratadine, 10 mg, qd, 4 weeks | After treatment finished | Total effective rates |
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| Xie, 2018 [57] | From January 2017 to December 2017 | A15/A5 | (26/14)/(22/18) | NR | NR | ACE | BL13, BL20, BL23, BL17, ST36, SP10 | Once every 3 weeks, 4 times | Cetirizine, 10 mg, qd, 12 weeks | After treatment finished | Total effective rates |
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| Wen, 2013 [58] | NR | A5/A5 | (26/14)/(22/19) | (25.3 ± 0.32) y/(27.2 ± 0.29) y | (8.5 ± 0.21) y/(7.3 ± 0.24) y | ACE | LI20, CV12, ST25, ST36 plus point selection treatment based on syndrome differentiation | Once every 15 days, 4 times | Loratadine, 10 mg, qd, 2 months | After treatment finished and 1 month and 3 months after treatment finished |
Total effective rates |
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| Cao et al., 2011 [59] | NR | A4/A6 | 80/80 | (4–73) y | 1 y–36 y | San-Fu-Tie | EX-B1, BL13, BL43, CV22, CV17 | Sanfu, first day of each fu/once per fu, once every 7 days, keep patching 0.5–4 h, 3 fus | Ebastine tablets, 10 mg, qd and beclometasone dipropionate aqueous nasal spray, each nostril 2 spray, tid, 10 days | After treatment finished and 3 years after treatment finished |
Total effective rates |
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| Miao, 2015 [60] | From January 2006 to February 2013 | A16/A16 | (12/16)/(9/17) | (8–51) y | NR | MA | LI20 (left), EX-HN8 (right), GB20 (left), LI4 (right), BL23 (left), BL13 (right), ST36 (left), (on both sides of alternating) | Once a day, 6 times a week for 4 weeks | Loratadine, 10 mg, qd plus azolastine nasal spray, two to three drops, four to five times a day, 4 weeks | After treatment finished and relapse rate after 1 year of treatment finished |
Total effective rates |
|
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| Wang et al., 2014 [61] | From July 2011 to September 2013 | A2/A2 | (62/70)/(56/60) | 43.7 y/45.1 y | (0.5–31) y | AHP | BL13, BL12, BL20, DU14 | Sanfu, first day of each fu/Once per fu, once every 10 days, middle fu, end fu of twice, keep patching 4–6 h, 3 fus | Loratadine, 10 mg, qd, 6 days, | After treatment finished | Total effective rates |
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| Wang et al., 2013 [62] | From March 2011 to December 2012 | A6/A6 | (19/22)/(17/23) | (44 ± 10) y/(40 ± 10) y | (7.9 ± 5.3) y/(6.6 ± 5.0) y | MA | DU20passDU21, DU23passDU24, EX-HN3 pass Shangen, LI20 pass Shangen | 30 minutes, 3 times a week for 4 weeks | Loratadine, 10 mg, qd and sodium cromoglycate eye drops, each nostril 2 spray, bid, 12 days | After treatment finished and 3 months after treatment finished |
Total effective rates, adverse effects |
|
| |||||||||||
| Xu, 2015 [63] | NR | A12/A2 | (14/16)/(17/13) | 43 y/43y | 12.5 y/16.5 y | MA | LI20, EX-HN8, BL7, EX-HN3, LU7, LI4, plus point selection treatment based on syndrome differentiation | 20 minutes, once a day for 1 month. | Loratadine, 10 mg, qd, 1 months | After treatment finished | Total effective rates |
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| Xu 2012 [64] | From July 2008 to September 2010 | A5/A3 | (20/25)/(22/23) | 30.6 y/32.7 y | 4.2 y/4.5 y | San-Fu-Tie | DU14, BL43, BL13, BL20, BL23 | Sanfu, first day of each fu/once per fu, once every 10 days, keep patching 8 h, 3 fus | Clarityne10 mg, qd, and budesonide nasal spray (rhinocort), each nostril 1 spray, bid, 7 days | 1 month and 1 year after treatment finished | Total effective rates |
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| Wen et al. 2007 [65] | From June 2003 to May 2005 | A6/A6 | (62/56)/(60/58) | 35.6 y/34.3 y | 3.8 y/3.6 y | AHP | DU14, BL13, BL20, BL23 | Once per 5–7 days, keep patching 4–6 h, 6 times | BCG polysaccharide nucleic acid (BCG-PSN), 1 mL, qd, im, 10 days | 1 month, 6 month, 12 month after treatment finished | Total effective rates |
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| Liu, 2011 [66] | From July 2006 to August 2010 | A5/A5 | (78/74)/(77/73) | (8.25 ± 4.3) y/(8.16 ± 4.43) y | (0.5–14) y | San-Fu-Tie | BL13, LU7, DU14, BL10, BL20 | Sanfu, first day of each fu/keep patching 3-4 h, 3 fus | Clarityne, 10 mg, qd, 2–4 weeks | 3 months (only for recurrence rate) after treatment finished | Total effective rates |
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| Hu and Sun 2010 [67] | From July 2006 to September 2008 | A5/A5 | (37/23)/(31/29) | (8–69) y | (0.5–9) y | San-Fu-Tie | BL43, DU14, BL12, BL13, EXHN15, BL20, BL17, BL23 | Sanfu, first day of each fu/once per 10 days, keep patching 2–6 h, 3 times | Cetirizine AQ(Zyrtec), 10 mg, qd. Beclomethasone dipropionate aqueous nasal spray(Beconase), 2 sprays daily, tid, 10 days |
After treatment finished | Total effective rates |
A1, Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of allergic rhinitis (2009, Wuyi mountain); A2, the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (1994); A3, otolaryngology head and neck surgery (2006); A4, diagnostic criteria and efficacy evaluation criteria for allergic rhinitis, Otolaryngology Branch of Chinese Medical Association (1998); A5, Principles and Recommendations for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis (Lanzhou, 2004); A6, Diagnostic Criteria for Diagnosis and Therapeutic Evaluation of Allergic Rhinitis (revised in 1997, Haikou); A7, total nasal symptom score and nimodipine method; A8, the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (1997); A9, Allergic Rhinitis and Its Impact on Asthma (ARIA, 2008, WHO); A10, Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of allergic rhinitis (2015, Tianjin); A11, The state administration of traditional Chinese medicine (2010); A12, Practical science of otolaryngology (1998); A13, Otolaryngology in traditional Chinese medicine (2007); A14, Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases (2013); A15, Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of allergic rhinitis, Otolaryngology Branch of Chinese Medical Association (2010); A16, the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (1995). MA: manual acupuncture; SG: sphenopalatine ganglion; ACE: acupoint catgut embedding; AHP: acupoint herbal patching; y: year, m: month; w: week; d: day; h: hour. NR: not reported, M: man, F: female. BCG, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin; C = control, I = intervention; qd: quaque die; bid: bis in die; tid: ter in die.