Objective To investigate the correlation between serum biochemical parameters and Parkinson's disease (PD) risk in the elderly.Methods The 277 inpatients with PD as PD group in Jiangsu Province Hospital from January 2009 to December 2013 were selected,at the same time,the 277 age and gender-matched healthy persons were enrolled as control group.The levels of total cholesterol (TG),total bilirubin (TB),uric acid (UA),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were detected and compared between the two groups.Results The levels of TG,UA,TB,HDL-C and LDL-C were significantly lower in PD group than in control group [(4.35±1.13) mmol/L vs.(4.95±0.98) mmol/L,t=6.63;(278.00± 101.89)μmol/L vs.(380.90 ± 108.28) μmol/L,t =12.44;(13.02 ± 7.56) μmol/L vs.(17.39 ± 7.30)μmol/L,t=7.09;(1.26±0.37) mmol/L vs.(1.34±0.28) mmol/L,t=3.38;(2.59±0.79) mmol/L vs.(3.17±0.91) mmol/L,t=7.42,all P＜0.05].Logistic multiple regression analysis showed that the decreased levels of TB,UA and LDL-C were independently associated with prevalence risk of PD (OR=0.940,0.991 and 0.219,all P＜0.001).The combined score of TB,UA and LDL-C was constructed by using the linear weighted method.ROC curve was drawn to select the higher diagnostic validity index among TB,UA,LDL-C and combined score.The area under the ROC curve for TB,UA,LDL-C and combined score was 0.713,0.765,0.682 and 0.809 (all P＜0.001),and the value of combined score was the highest.Conclusions The decreased levels of TB,UA and LDL-C are independently associated with PD.They possess certain clinical value in evaluating the prevalence risk of PD.

Objective:To investigate the correlation of serum testosterone level with severity and characteristics of coronary plaque, stent implantation rate and major cardiovascular adverse events(MACE)in elderly male patients with coronary heart disease(CHD).Methods:In this retrospective study, a total of 63 elderly male patients of the Third People's Hospital of Hangzhou with coronary angiography(CAG)-confirmed CHD and to undergo percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)were selected.According to serum testosterone level, they were divided into the low testosterone(low T)group and the normal testosterone(normal T)group.Optical coherence tomography(OCT)was performed in both groups to define the characteristics of coronary artery lesions and guide stent implantation.The correlation of serum testosterone level with blood lipids, glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c), degree of coronary artery lesions, plaque characteristics, stent implantation and MACE in two groups were analyzed.The in-stent restenosis rate after stent implantation and the variation of minimum lumen diameter of stent were determined during 12 months follow up in both groups.Results:Total cholesterol(TC), low-density lipoprotein(LDL-C)and HbA1c were higher in the low T group than in the normal T group( t=7.808、-5.871、6.611, all P<0.05). When taking testosterone as the independent variable, and TC, triglycerides(TG), LDL-C, high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)and HbA1c as the dependent variables, linear regression analysis showed that TC, LDL-C and HbA1c were negatively correlated with testosterone level( β=-0.733, -0.716, -0.581, P<0.05). More than 2 vascular lesions were more common in low testosterone group versus the control group( χ2=8.66, P<0.05). Mixed plaques, lipid plaques, and calcified plaques were more commonly found in low testosterone group versus the control group( χ2=7.87, P<0.05). Unstable plaques were more common in the low T group( χ2=6.14, P<0.05). The low T group vs the normal T group, coronary stent implantation rate were 93.3%(28/30 cases) vs.66.7%(22/33 cases), the difference was statistically significant( χ2=6.82, P<0.05). When testosterone, TC, TG, LDL-C, HDL-C, HbA1c were taken as the independent variables, and the stent implantation rate was the dependent variable, logistic regression analysis results showed that only testosterone, TC and HbA1c were independently correlated with stent implantation rate( OR=0.971、425.523、0.004, P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in minimum stent lumen diameters between the two groups under OCT-guided coronary stent implantation( t=-1.064, P>0.05). During 12 months follow up, the MACE0 incidence was 26.7%(8/30 cases, in low T group)than 6.1%(2/33 cases, in normal T group), with statistically significant difference( χ2=5.00, P<0.05). When taking testosterone, TC, TG, LDL-C, HDL-C and HbA1c as the independent variables, and MACE as the dependent variable, logistic regression analysis results showed that only testosterone and LDL-C were independently correlated with MACE( OR=0.968, 0.008, P<0.05). Conclusions:Serum testosterone level is negatively correlated with TC, LDL-C and HbA1c, and may be correlated with the degree of coronary artery lesions, plaque properties, MACE and stent implantation rate of CHD patients.Serum testosterone can be used to evaluate the characteristics and conditions of CHD, and help to predict the prognosis of CHD.The OCT is a good guide tool for coronary stent implantation.

Objective:To analyze the difference of immune damage between patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) and patients with tsutsugamushi disease.Methods:A prospective case-control study was conducted. Thirty-one patients with SFTS and 16 patients with tsutsugamushi disease admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from October 2014 to June 2017 were enrolled, and another 10 healthy people were enrolled as control. The counts of CD4 + and CD8 + T lymphocytes, and the proportion of CD3 + T lymphocytes, natural kill cells (NK cells), B lymphocytes and plasma cells were detected by flow cytometry. Thirty-four inflammatory mediators were determined by a multiplex Luminex? system synchronously. The differences of lymphocytes and cytokines between the two groups were compared. Results:The proportion of CD3 + T lymphocytes, the counts of CD4 + and CD8 + T lymphocytes in SFTS patients were significantly lower than those in patients with tsutsugamushi disease ( t values were 4.860, 9.411 and 5.030, respectively, all P < 0.01), and the proportion of NK cells and B lymphocytes were significantly higher than those in patients with tsutsugamushi disease ( t values were 2.344 and 5.896, respectively, both P < 0.05). The proportion of plasma cells in peripheral blood of SFTS patients was (7.7±1.2)%, the highest proportion of plasma cells in severe SFTS patients was up to 30%, and all patients showed λ monoclonal cell group in plasma cells. No plasma cells were detected in tsutsugamushi disease patients. The abnormal expressions of interleukin-1 receptor antibody (IL-1RA), interleukin (IL-6, IL-15, IL-10, IL-8), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), γ-interferon (IFN-γ), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), eosinophil chemotactic factor (Eotaxin), IFN-γ-inducible protein-10 (IP-10), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP-1α, MIP-1β), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-AA, PDGF-AB/BB), activated regulatory normal T cells and secretion factors (RANTES) were found in patients with SFTS and tsutsugamushi disease. The levels of IL-1RA, IL-6, IL-15, IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-γ, G-CSF, Eotaxin, IL-8, IP-10, MCP-1 and MIP-1α in SFTS patients were significantly higher than those in patients with tsutsugamushi disease ( Z values were 2.312, 2.447, 3.660, 5.444, 1.965, 2.402, 2.402, 2.997, 3.525, 2.481, 3.817, and 2.211, respectively, all P < 0.05), while PDGF-AA, PDGF-AB/BB and RANTES were significantly lower than those in patients with tsutsugamushi disease ( Z values were 3.728, 2.514, 2.649, respectively, all P < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that RANTES, PDGF-AA and PDGF-AB/BB levels were significantly positively correlated with the level of platelet in patients with SFTS and tsutsugamushi disease (SFTS: r values were 0.223, 0.365, 0.330; tsutsugamushi disease: r values were 0.263, 0.632, 0.407, respectively, all P < 0.05). In SFTS patients, compared with the survival group ( n = 21), the CD3 + and CD4 + T lymphocytes in the death group ( n = 10) significantly decreased, while the plasma cells significantly increased ( t values were 3.980, 3.314 and 26.692, respectively, all P < 0.01); IL-1RA, IL-6, IL-15, IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-γ, G-CSF, Eotaxin, IL-8, IP-10, MCP-1, MIP-1α and MIP-1β significantly increased, while PDGF-AA, PDGF-AB/BB and RANTES significantly decreased ( Z values were 3.930, 4.014, 2.832, 3.592, 2.958, 3.508, 2.578, 3.254, 4.270, 3.465, 2.663, 3.085, 3.107, 3.639, 3.043 and 3.825, respectively, all P < 0.05). Conclusions:The immune function was impaired more seriously in SFTS patients than that in tsutsugamushi disease patients. Excessive humoral immunity and apoptosis of T lymphocytes are closely related to the death in SFTS patients. The detection of CD4 cells, plasma cells and proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines (e.g. IL-6, IL-10) had great clinical significance for the differentiation and illness evaluation in disease with SFTS or tsutsugamushi disease.

Objective:To observe the clinical effect of Senling Baizhu san (SLBZS) on patients with sarcopenia.Methods:Eighty patients with spleen-stomach weakness sarcopenia admitted to the department of geriatrics of Hangzhou Third People's Hospital from January 2018 to March 2020 were enrolled. The patients were divided into control group and observation group by random number table method, 40 cases in each group. All patients were treated with conventional Western medicine, and the observation group was treated with SLBZS 100 mL, twice a day, on the basis of conventional Western medicine. The course of the treatments was 12 weeks. Grip strength and walking speed were recorded before and after treatment, and appendicular skeletal mass index (ASMI) was calculated. The serum levels of silence infor-mation regulator 1 (SIRT1), growth differentiation factor-8 (GDF-8) and insulin-like rowth factor-1 (IGF-1) were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mRNA expression of AMP-activated protein kinase-α (AMPK-α) in serum was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).Results:Compared with before treatment, grip strength, ASMI, IGF-1, SIRT1 and AMPK-α mRNA in both groups were significantly increased after treatment, while GDF-8 was significantly decreased. The changes of above indexes in the observation group were more significant than those in the control group after treatment [grip strength (kg): 20.00 (15.50, 21.00) vs. 18.20 (14.93, 19.50), ASMI (kg/m 2): 5.80 (5.25, 6.00) vs. 5.30 (5.20, 5.50), IGF-1 (μg/L): 246.00 (229.00, 259.50) vs. 207.00 (187.00, 233.00), SIRT1 (ng/L): 649.2±38.3 vs. 624.6±38.6, AMPK-α mRNA (2 -ΔΔCt): 0.30±0.03 vs. 0.27±0.03, GDF-8 (μg/L): 13.50 (12.00, 17.80) vs. 15.60 (14.08, 19.98), all P < 0.05]. There was no significant difference in walking speed between the two groups before and after treatment [0.56 (0.53, 0.62) m/s and 0.58 (0.55, 0.62) m/s in the control group before and after treatment, 0.58 (0.54, 0.64) m/s and 0.60 (0.56, 0.65) m/s in the observation group before and after treatment, both P > 0.05]. Spearman correlation analysis showed that IGF-1 was positively correlated with SIRT1 ( r = 0.341, P = 0.002), IGF-1 was positively correlated with walking speed ( r = 0.250, P = 0.026), and ASMI was positively correlated with grip strength ( r = 0.367, P = 0.001). Conclusion:On the basis of conventional Western medicine, SLBZS has a remarkable effect on patients with sarcopenia of spleen-stomach weakness, which can provide a new idea of combining traditional Chinese and Western medicine for the treatment of sarcopenia.

Objective:To observe any effect of fast walking on walking speed, 6-minute walking test (6MWT) time, and on serum levels of growth differentiation factor-8 (GDF-8) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in patients with sarcopenia.Methods:A total of 61 sarcopenia patients were randomly divided into an observation group ( n=31) and a control group ( n=30). Both groups were given conventional drug therapy. In addition, the observation group underwent 30-minutes of walking at 100-120 steps/min (about 60% of maximum heart rate) three times a week for 12 weeks. The control group also walked, but at 70-90 steps/min (less than 50% of maximum heart rate). Grip strength, walking speed, 6MWT time, skeletal muscle index (ASMI) and serum GDF-8 and IGF-1 were compared before and after the intervention. Results:There were no significant differences in grip strength or ASMI between observation group and control group (comparing males with males and females with females) before the experiment. Afterward, grip strength and ASMI in the observation group had increased significantly on average. Both were then significantly higher than the control groups′ averages, which had not changed significantly. Average walking speed, 6MWT time and serum IGF-1 levels had improved significantly in both groups, but the observation group′s average improvement was significantly greater. A significant decrease the average serum GDF-8 level was observed in the observation group, but not in the control group.Conclusion:Fast walking can improve the walking of persons with sarcopenia, raise serum IGF-1 levels, and significantly reduce serum GDF-8.

Identifying data-driven biotypes of major depressive disorder (MDD) has promise for the clarification of diagnostic heterogeneity. However, few studies have focused on white-matter abnormalities for MDD subtyping. This study included 116 patients with MDD and 118 demographically-matched healthy controls assessed by diffusion tensor imaging and neurocognitive evaluation. Hierarchical clustering was applied to the major fiber tracts, in conjunction with tract-based spatial statistics, to reveal white-matter alterations associated with MDD. Clinical and neurocognitive differences were compared between identified subgroups and healthy controls. With fractional anisotropy extracted from 20 fiber tracts, cluster analysis revealed 3 subgroups based on the patterns of abnormalities. Patients in each subgroup versus healthy controls showed a stepwise pattern of white-matter alterations as follows: subgroup 1 (25.9% of patient sample), widespread white-matter disruption; subgroup 2 (43.1% of patient sample), intermediate and more localized abnormalities in aspects of the corpus callosum and left cingulate; and subgroup 3 (31.0% of patient sample), possible mild alterations, but no statistically significant tract disruption after controlling for family-wise error. The neurocognitive impairment in each subgroup accompanied the white-matter alterations: subgroup 1, deficits in sustained attention and delayed memory; subgroup 2, dysfunction in delayed memory; and subgroup 3, no significant deficits. Three subtypes of white-matter abnormality exist in individuals with major depression, those having widespread abnormalities suffering more neurocognitive impairments, which may provide evidence for parsing the heterogeneity of the disorder and help optimize type-specific treatment approaches.