The effects of fast walking on persons with sarcopenia / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

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.

Relationship Between Periodontal Disease and Serum Factors in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic renal disease is a common condition with several recognized risk factors. Periodontal disease is a recently suggested risk factor for renal disease. We aimed to assess the relationship between periodontal disease and several serum factors in patients undergoing hemodialysis. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 57 patients undergoing hemodialysis. Periodontal examination was done by measuring the mean Pocket Depth (PD), Silness-Löe Plaque Index (PI), Ainamo and Bay Bleeding On Probing (BOP), Löe and Silness Gingival Index (GI) and Clinical Attachment Loss (CAL). Serum levels of albumin, calcium, phosphorus, hemoglobin, ferritin and creatinine were measured via a routine blood test. Cystatin C was separately measured. Data were analyzed using independent t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, chi square test and Mann Whitney test (alpha=0.05). RESULTS: 37 men and 20 women were evaluated. Of these, 26.3% had periodontitis and 73.7% had gingivitis. Serum level of albumin (P=0.02) and ferritin (P=0.043) in patients with periodontitis was significantly higher than that in patients with gingivitis. The serum level of creatinine (P=0.02), cystatin C (P=0.013), calcium (P=0.046) and phosphorus (P=0.037) had a significant correlation with severity of periodontitis and increase in CAL. CONCLUSION: Increase in the serum levels of albumin and ferritin was related to the progression of gingivitis to periodontitis. Also, the serum levels of creatinine, cystatin C, calcium and phosphorus increased with an increase in CAL.

Serum-derived exosomes from mice with highly metastatic breast cancer transfer increased metastatic capacity to a poorly metastatic tumor.

Altered interaction between CD200 and CD200R represents an example of "checkpoint blockade" disrupting an effective, tumor-directed, host response in murine breast cancer cells. In CD200R1KO mice, long-term cure of EMT6 breast cancer, including metastatic spread to lung and liver, was achieved in BALB/c mice. The reverse was observed with 4THM tumors, an aggressive, inflammatory breast cancer, with increased tumor metastasis in CD200R1KO. We explored possible explanations for this difference. We measured the frequency of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood of tumor bearers, as well as lung/liver and draining lymph nodes. In some cases mice received infusions of exosomes from nontumor controls, or tumor bearers, with/without additional infusions of anticytokine antibodies. The measured frequency of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood was equivalent in the two models in WT and CD200R1KO mice. Increased metastasis in EMT6 tumor bearers was seen in vivo following adoptive transfer of serum, or serum-derived exosomes, from 4THM tumor bearers, an effect which was attenuated by anti-IL-6, and anti-IL-17, but not anti-TNFα, antibody. Anti-IL-6 also attenuated enhanced migration of EMT6 cells in vitro induced by 4THM serum or exosomes, or recombinant IL-6. Exosome cytokine proteomic profiles responses in 4THM and EMT6 tumor-bearing mice were regulated by CD200:CD200R interactions, with attenuation of both IL-6 and IL-17 in 4THM CD200(tg) mice, and enhanced levels in 4THM CD200R1KO mice. We suggest these cytokines act on the microenvironment at sites within the host, and/or directly on tumor cells themselves, to increase metastatic potential.

Serum factors associated with neovascular glaucoma following vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy

We performed a retrospective study of serum factors associated with neovascular glaucoma that can occur following vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The medical records of 183 patients (241 eyes) who received vitrectomy between August 1996 and August 2000 were studied retrospectively and subsequently analyzed by linear logistic regression analysis and multiple logistic regression tests. Neovascular glaucoma developed at an average of 2.7 months in 31 of 241 eyes (14.1%). The overall anatomical success rate of retinal attachment was 82.5% (199 eyes in 241 eyes), although it decreased to 45.1% (14 eyes in 31 eyes) in eyes with neovascular glaucoma. Serum cholesterol (P = 0.041) and fibrinogen levels (P = 0.020) were significantly associated with the development of neovascular glaucoma. However, no significant association could be found concerning hypertension, diabetic retinopathy or hypercholesterolemia (P > 0.05). We suggest that serum creatinine, cholesterol and fibrinogen levels can be used to predict the development of neovascular glaucoma in vitrectomized eyes with diabetic retinopathy and can further provide a more active approach to preventing the development of this condition.