Associations of apolipoprotein E ε4 allele, regional cerebral blood flow, and serum liver function markers in patients with cognitive impairment.

Introduction: The ε4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE4) is expressed abundantly in both the brain and peripheral circulation as a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cerebral blood flow (CBF) dysfunction is an essential feature of AD, and the liver plays an important role in the pathogenesis of dementia. However, the associations of APOE4 with CBF and liver function markers in patients with cognitive impairment remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the associations of APOE4 with CBF measured by arterial spin labeling (ASL) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and serum liver function markers in participants who were diagnosed with cognitive impairment. Methods: Fourteen participants with AD and sixteen with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were recruited. In addition to providing comprehensive clinical information, all patients underwent laboratory tests and MRI. All participants were divided into carriers and noncarriers of the ε4 allele, and T-tests and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to observe the differences between APOE4 carriers and noncarriers in CBF and liver function markers. Results: Regarding regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), APOE4 carriers showed hyperperfusion in the bilateral occipital cortex, bilateral thalamus, and left precuneus and hypoperfusion in the right lateral temporal cortex when compared with noncarriers. Regarding serum liver function markers, bilirubin levels (including total, direct, and indirect) were lower in APOE4 carriers than in noncarriers. Conclusion: APOE4 exerts a strong effect on CBF dysfunction by inheritance, representing a risk factor for AD. APOE4 may be related to bilirubin metabolism, potentially providing specific neural targets for the diagnosis and treatment of AD.

Associations of Serum Liver Function with Cerebral Blood Flow in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Increasing evidence suggests that both amyloid-ß metabolism disorders in the liver and cerebral hypoperfusion play an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the relevance of liver function alterations to cerebral blood flow (CBF) of patients with AD remains unclear. Objective: We aimed to investigate the associations between liver function changes and CBF of patients with AD. Methods: We recruited 17 patients with sporadic AD. In addition to physical and neurological examinations, detection of AD biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and CBF assessment by arterial spin labeling sequence of magnetic resonance image scans as well as measure of liver function markers in serum by routine laboratory testing were conducted. Neuropsychological tests were evaluated, including Mini-Mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Linear and rank correlations were performed to test the associations of liver function alterations with regional CBF of AD. Results: We found that liver function markers, especially total protein, the ratio of albumin to globin, globin, alkaline phosphatase, and aspartate aminotransferase were significantly associated with regional CBF of AD patients. Conclusions: These findings demonstrated significant associations between perfusion in certain brain regions of AD and alterations of liver function markers, particularly proteins and liver enzymes, which might provide implications to the pathogenesis and treatment of AD.

Primary intracranial lymphomas-incidence and survival: a population-based study.

Biopsy is recommended for patients with primary intracranial lymphoma to confirm the diagnosis, but the effect of tumor resection is still controversial. We conducted this retrospective study to better understand the epidemiology of primary intracranial lymphoma in the USA and explore the relationship between surgical resection and prognosis. Data regarding primary intracranial lymphoma, including incidence, were extracted from the SEER database. We analyzed the difference in incidence between different groups of people. We explored the effect of surgery on the survival of patients by the Kaplan-Meier method and evaluated the possible prognostic indicators by multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. The incidence significantly increased with age. The non-Hispanic Asian or Pacific Islander population exhibited the highest incidence, and the incidence was significantly higher in males than females. A total of 6428 cases were included in the cohort study, and most of the patients were diagnosed in the sixth to seventh decade of life. Sixty percent of tumors were supratentorial tumors. Surgery, especially total resection, significantly improved overall survival and cancer-specific survival. The survival of female patients, patients diagnosed before reaching 60 years of age, patients diagnosed after 2010, and patients with supratentorial lymphomas was better than that of their counterparts. The survival of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was worse than that of their counterparts. We conducted a comprehensive retrospective analysis of patients with primary intracranial lymphoma. We analyzed the difference in incidence between different groups of people. Surgery significantly improved overall and cancer-specific survival. The results of our research can help clinicians and patients better understand the epidemiology and management of primary intracranial lymphoma.

Epidemiology and survival of patients with central nervous system solitary fibrous tumors: A population-based analysis.

Background: The objective of this study was to determine population-based estimates of the epidemiology and prognosis of central nervous system solitary fibrous tumors (cSFTs). Methods: We extracted the data of patients diagnosed with cSFTs between 2004 and 2018 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. We analyzed the distribution of patients according to their demographic and clinical characteristics. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to predict which patients would be diagnosed with malignant cSFT. Possible prognostic indicators were analyzed by multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. Results: A total of 650 cases were included. The majority of patients were diagnosed at 50-59 years old, and the median age at diagnosis was 55 years. A total of 13.4% of the tumors were located in the spinal canal, and 24% of the tumors were benign. Most of the tumors were larger than 3 cm, but distant metastasis was rare. Tumor resection was the first choice of treatment for these patients, and total resection was achieved in 51.1%. Radiation therapy after surgery was also administered to 42.3% of the patients. The median survival was 57 months. Intracranial tumors and tumors with distant metastasis tended to be malignant. The results of the log-rank test showed that the patients who underwent total resection had better overall survival (OS), but the effect of radiation therapy after surgery was not significant. Conclusion: cSFT is a rare and aggressive type of tumor. Tumor resection is the first choice for treatment, and radiation therapy after surgery does not improve OS. Patients older than 60 years of age who are diagnosed with intracranial tumors, malignant tumors and distant metastasis have worse OS outcomes than their counterparts.

The Anti-Inflammatory Effects of a Yin Zhi Huang Soup in an Experimental Autoimmune Prostatitis Rat Model.

The present study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of the Chinese herbal medicine Yin Zhi Huang soup (YZS) in an experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP) rat model. In total, 48 rats were randomly divided into the following four groups (n = 12/group): saline group, pathological model group, Qianlietai group, and YZS group. We determined the average wet weight of the prostate tissue, the ratio of the wet weight of the prostate tissue to body weight, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels in the blood serum, the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the rats' prostate tissues, and the pathological changes in the prostate tissue using light microscopy. YZS reduced the rats' prostate wet weight, the ratio of the prostate wet weight to body weight, and TNF-α levels in the blood serum and inhibited the expression of iNOS in the rats' prostate tissues (P < 0.05). Following YZS treatment, the pathological changes in the rats' prostates were improved compared with those in the model group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, YZS treatment reduced inflammatory changes in the prostate tissue. It also significantly suppressed proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, and chemokines, such as iNOS, in the rat model of EAP.

[Treating oligospermia patients of Shen-essence deficiency syndrome by 3 different treatment programs: a clinical observation].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical efficacy of 3 different treatment programs for oligospermia patients of Shen-essence deficiency syndrome (SEDS). METHODS: Totally 450 male patients were randomly assigned to 3 groups, i.e., the treatment group, the control group 1, and the control group 2, 150 in each group. Patients in the treatment group were treated by Bushen Yijing Decoction (BYD), tamoxifen tablet (TT), Licorzine Capsule (LC), and Vitamin E Soft Capsule (VESC). Those in the control group 1 were treated by BYD, LC, and VESC. Those in the control group 2 were treated by TT, LC, and VESC. All patients were treated for 3 months. Their pregnant rates were compared. Clinical efficacies of each Chinese medical symptom and sperm parameters [sperm density, grade a sperm motility rate, grade (a + b) sperm motility rate, grade (a + b + c) sperm motility rate, and normal sperm morphology rate] were compared before and after treatment. RESULTS: At 3 months after treatment 61 patients were pregnant in the treatment group, 36 patients were pregnant in the control group 1, and 30 patients were pregnant in the control group 2. The differences in the sperm density, grade a sperm motility rate, and grade (a + b) sperm motility rate, and grade (a + b + c) sperm motility rate between before and after treatment were significantly higher in the treatment group than in the control group 1 and the control group 2 (P < 0.01). The difference in the normal sperm morphology rate between before and after treatment was obviously higher in the treatment group and the control group 1 than in the control group 2 (P < 0.01). Better results were obtained in the treatment group and the control group 1 in improving the sexual apathy, soreness and weakness of waist and knees, impotence, premature ejaculation, seminal emission, dizziness, tinnitus, forgetfulness, alopecia, when compared with the control group 2 (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in the total effective rate of improving Chinese medical symptoms between the treatment group and the control group 1 (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: BYD combined with TT, LC, and VESC could significantly improve sperm qualities and clinical Chinese medical symptoms of oligospermia patients of SEDS.

[Clinical study on the treatment of male immune infertility by Huzhangdanshenyin].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of the Chinese medicine Huzhangdanshenyin on male immune infertility, and provide an effective therapy for this disease. METHODS: Ninety men with immune infertility were selected as the research subjects and randomly divided into two groups, 60 in the treatment group, treated by Huzhangdanshenyin, and the other 30 in the control, treated by prednisone, both for 3 months. The improvement of clinical symptoms, immunologic indexes (antisperm antibodies in serum and seminal plasma) and sperm indexes (semen liquefied duration, motility, viability, density and abnormal morphology rate) were observed and the results analyzed. RESULTS: The total antisperm antibody reversing ratio of the treatment group was higher than that of the control (P < 0.01), especially the serum antisperm antibody reversing ratio. There were significant differences in the clinical cure rate and total validity rate between the treatment group and the control (P < 0.01). After the treatment, the markers of the clinical symptoms (P < 0.01), especially the serum antisperm antibody reversing ratio. There were significant differences in the clinical cure rate and total validity rate between the treatment group and the control (P < 0.01). After the treatment, the markers of the clinical symptoms were lower (P < 0.01), and the improvement of the clinical symptoms was better in the treatment group than in the control (P < 0.01), especially the symptoms of pain in the back and knees, distending and bearing-down sensation of the perineum and testis, hypersexuality and topalgias. Compared with pre-treatment, sperm motility and viability of the treatment group significantly improved (P < 0.01), and so did sperm density (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in sperm density, semen liquefied duration, abnormal morphology rate and pH (P > 0.05) before and after the treatment. CONCLUSION: The Chinese medicine Huzhangdanshenyin works more effectively than prednisone in the treatment of male immune infertility. It could improve the antisperm antibody reversing ratio, clinical symptoms and signs and ameliorate sperm indexes with no obvious advierse effects.