Table 2.
Demographic data, clinical characteristics, and serum vitamin B12, folic acid, and homocysteine levels of patients with PD according to treatment groups∗.
| Group I (n = 58) |
Group II (n = 30) |
Group III (n = 12) |
p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 70 (40–89) | 65.5 (42–84) | 69.5 (53–77) | 0.04† |
| Male/female | 32 (59.3%)/26 (56.5%) | 16 (29.6%)/14 (30.4%) | 6 (11.1%)/6 (13%) | 0.94 |
| Duration of the PD (years) | 5 (1–20) | 9.5 (1–24) | 3 (1–12) | 0.01‡ |
| Age of onset (years) | 65 (35–86) | 57 (32–78) | 67 (52–72) | 0.002§ |
| UPDRS II score | 11 (3–36) | 12 (3–26) | 8 (2–16) | 0.07 |
| UPDRS III score | 15 (6–43) | 17 (6–35) | 14 (6–30) | 0.27 |
| mHY stage | 2 (1–5) | 2 (1–5) | 1.5 (1–3) | 0.23 |
| SMMT score | 24 (10–30) | 25 (15–29) | 26 (17–28) | 0.46 |
| Hcy (µmol/L) | 15.1 (6.3–50) | 15.2 (5.18–36) | 12.6 (7.92–54.3) | 0.30 |
| Vitamin B12 (pg/mL) | 268.1 (100–662) | 262.5 (147.9–990) | 295 (58–768) | 0.80 |
| Folic acid (ng/mL) | 9.38 ± 2.87 | 8.67 ± 3.67 | 10.73 ± 5.02 | 0.26 |
| LD dose (mg/day) | 300 (100–1000) | 400 (150–1000) | (—) | 0.30 |
| Duration of LD medication (years) | 2.5 (1–20) | 5.5 (1–20) | (—) | 0.27 |
| COMTI dose (mg/day) | (—) | 800 (400–1400) | (—) | (—) |
| Duration of COMTI medication (years) | (—) | 2 (1–10) | (—) | (—) |
∗Data reported as median (minimum–maximum) except folic acid values. Folic acid values reported as mean ± SD.
†Statistical difference was significant between group I and group II (p < 0.05).
‡Statistical difference was significant between group II and group III (p < 0.05).
§Statistical difference was significant between group II and both of the other groups (p < 0.05).
PD: Parkinson's disease; UPDRS: Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale; mHY: modified Hoehn and Yahr staging scale; SMMT: Standardized Mini-Mental Test; Hcy: homocysteine; LD: levodopa; COMTI: catechol-O-methyl transferase inhibitors.