Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34875647›Full record

Observational studyComplementary medicine research2022

Epigenomic Changes after Acupuncture Treatment in Patients Suffering from Burnout.

Marc Petitpierre, Ludwig Stenz, Ariane Paoloni-Giacobino

Open access · hybridAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Complementary medicine research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 19% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. [Research Progress in the Mechanisms of Acupuncture in Regulating DNA Methylation].Sichuan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Sichuan University. Medical science edition · 2025
    Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Marc PetitpierreGeneral Medicine, Acupuncture and Chinese Pharmacotherapy Office, Rolle, Switzerland.
Ludwig StenzDepartment of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland, ludwig.stenz@unige.ch.
Ariane Paoloni-GiacobinoDepartment of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
University of Geneva · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe effects of acupuncture treatment in patients suffering from burnout may imply an epigenetic control mediated by DNA methylation changes. In this observational study, a genome-wide characterization of epigenetic changes in blood DNA, before and after acupuncture treatment, was performed in a cohort of 11 patients suffering from burnout.

methodsBurnout was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and DNA was extracted from blood samples and analyzed by Illumina EPIC BeadChip.

resultsBefore acupuncture, all patients suffered of emotional exhaustion (EE) (MBI-EE score, 44 ± 6), 81% suffered of depersonalization (DP) (MBI-DP score, 16 ± 6), and 72% of low feelings of personal accomplishment (PA) (MBI-PA score, 29 ± 9). After acupuncture, all MBI dimensions improved significantly (EE, 16 ± 11 [p = 1.5 × 10-4]; DP, 4 ± 5 [p = 5.3 × 10-4]; and PA, 40 ± 6 [p = 4.1 × 10-3]). For each patient, both methylomes obtained before and after acupuncture co-clustered in the multidimensional scaling plot, indicating a high level of similarity. Genes corresponding to the 10 most differentially methylated CpGs showed enrichment in the brain dopaminergic signaling, steroid synthesis and in the insulin sensitivity pathways.

conclusionAcupuncture treatment was found to be highly effective on all burnout dimensions and the epigenetic targets identified were involved in some major disturbances of this syndrome.

Indexed as

Acupuncture TherapyBurnout, ProfessionalDNAEpigenomicsHumansSurveys and QuestionnairesDNAAcupunctureBurnoutClinical researchCohort studyDopamineEpigenetic

Identifiers

PMID34875647
PMCPMC9153332
OpenAlexW4200056863

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.