title: Association between neurosyphilis and diabetes mellitus: resurgence of an old problem.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease, is commonly referred to as the "great imitator" because of its wide-ranging clinical presentations. Recently, we noticed that patients with neurosyphilis (NS) seemed to be more susceptible to complications of diabetes mellitus (DM). This is an interesting phenomenon, but it also puzzles clinicians because of scant knowledge about this situation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case-control study was conducted to explore the association between NS and DM. Clinical data and the prevalence of DM among NS patients, patients with syphilis but not NS (syphilis/non-NS), non-syphilis patients, and healthy controls were analyzed. In addition, we explored the time of occurrence of NS and DM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c levels in NS patients were significantly higher than in syphilis/non-NS patients, non-syphilis patients, and healthy controls (P < 0.05). In all, 45 of 149 NS patients (30.2%) were diagnosed with DM. The prevalence of DM in NS patients was significantly higher than in the other three groups (P < 0.05). There was no relationship between the prevalence of DM and the type of NS (e.g. asymptomatic NS, syphilitic meningitis, meningovascular NS, general paresis, and tabes dosalis). In the study population, 57.8% of NS patients were diagnosed with DM at the same time, whereas 80.0% were diagnosed with DM within 5 years of their diagnosis of NS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the results of the present study, DM is not merely an occasional chance occurrence in NS patients. There is an association between NS and DM.
authors.affiliation: Zhongshan Hospital, Medical College of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China; Shenzhen Research Institute of Xiamen University, Shenzhen, China.
authors.forename: Tianci
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Manli
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Ya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xi
authors.forename: Xiaojing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Yuyan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yafeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qiao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Fuyi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Songjie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Huilin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Weihong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Lirong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D016208:Databases, Factual; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009494:Neurosyphilis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human
keywords: diabetes mellitus; fasting plasma glucose; glycated HbA1c; neurosyphilis; 关键词：糖尿病，空腹血糖，糖化血红蛋白，神经梅毒