Objective To investigate the correlation between the expression of serum 25hydroxyvitamin D[25(OH)D]and growth differentiation factor 15(GDF-15)levels and the risk of malignancy in patients with metabolic syndrome(MS)and the development of combined thyroid nodules(TN).Methods From August 2019 to August 2023,185 MS patients who visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University were regarded as the study subjects,according to the results of thyroid ultrasound examination,they were separated into MS group(n=73)and MS+TN group(n=112).According to the malignant grading of thyroid nodules,MS+TN patients were separated into benign group(n=89)and malignant group(n=23).Another 68 healthy individuals who underwent physical examinations were regarded as control group.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was applied to determine the levels of serum 25(OH)D and GDF-15 in each group.Pearson was applied to analyze the correlation between serum 25(OH)D and GDF-15 levels and clinical indicators in MS in TN patients.Multivariate Logistic regression was applied to analyze the influencing factors of malignant TN in patients with MS combined with TN.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was plotted to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum 25(OH)D and GDF-15 levels in MS with malignant TN.Results Comparison of serum 25(OH)D(30.41±6.73 ng/ml,27.23±6.15 ng/ml,24.67±4.38 ng/ml)and GDF-15(167.99±22.56 ng/L,239.75±25.92 ng/L,286.63±26.04 ng/L)levels in control,MS and MS+TN groups,the differences were statistically significant(F=22.219,472.113,all P<0.05).Compared with the benign group,the serum 25(OH)D(26.28±4.53 ng/ml vs 18.44±3.79 ng/ml)level in the malignant group was obviously reduced,while the GDF-15(276.93±24.53 ng/L vs 324.17±31.89 ng/L)level was obviously increased,the differences were statistically significant(t=7.631,7.718,all P＜0.05).The BMI,age,FPG,TG,TSH and TGAb levels of patients in the malignant group were obviously higher than those in the benign group,the difference were statistically significant(t=2.868,3.523,3.542,3.603,4.581,5.516,all P＜0.05).Pearson correlation analysis,and the serum 25(OH)D level in MS patients with TN was negatively correlated with FPG,TSH,TG and TGAb levels(r=-0.302,-0.482,-0.524,-0.546,all P<0.001),while GDF-15 level was positively correlated with TG,TSH,TGAb and FPG levels(r=0.467,0.541,0.578,0.623,all P<0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis,GDF-15(OR=1.673,95%CI:1.146～2.442)was a risk factor for the occurrence of malignant TN in MS patients(P<0.05),and 25(OH)D(OR=0.744,95%CI:0.604～0.916)was a protective factor for the occurrence of malignant TN,the AUC values of serum 25(OH)D and GDF-15 levels in the diagnosis of MS combined with malignant TN were 0.813,0.799 and 0.930,respectively,and the combination was superior to the single diagnosis(Z=2.088,2.021,P=0.037,0.043).Conclusion The levels of serum 25(OH)D and GDF-15 in patients with MS combined with TN are obviously correlated with nodular nature.The decrease in serum 25(OH)D level and the increase in GDF-15 level are risk factors for malignant TN in MS patients.

Perimenopausal syndrome （MPS）， a common endocrine system disease， is one of the diseases responding specifically to traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. The China Association of Chinese Medicine organized experts in endocrinology， gynecology， and interdisciplinary fields of both Western and Chinese medicine to discuss the advantages and challenges of diagnosing and treating MPS with Western medicine， TCM， and integrative medicine. Experts at the conference believe that MPS is initiated by estrogen decline and rooted in deficiency， with the pathogenesis being imbalance between Yin and Yang in the kidney. The hormone replacement therapy in Western medicine for menopause can rapidly alleviate related symptoms by quickly restoring the estrogen level and timely detect and delay complications of menopause， whereas such a therapy has certain risks， necessitating close monitoring of adverse reactions. Moreover， the various contraindications and precautions limit the clinical application of the hormone replacement therapy. TCM has advantages in synergistically alleviating symptoms such as hot flashes， sweating， sleep disorders， and emotional abnormalities of MPS without causing obvious adverse reactions. However， its efficacy is slower than the hormone replacement therapy， and the TCM evidence for preventing and treating complications of menopause remains unclear. Three suggestions were proposed for the future development of both Western and TCM for ameliorating MPS. First， an integrated diagnosis and treatment system for MPS with both Western and Chinese medicine should be established. Second， high-quality evidence-based interventions for MPS should be developed with TCM alone or in combination with Western medicine. Third， efforts should be made to promote the new TCM drug development and the interdisciplinary cooperation for treating MPS.