Bone Abstracts

Objective: We evaluated the effect of risedronate on BMD and bone turnover markers in HIV infected osteoporotic males, according to their gonadal status.Methods: 41 HIV patients treated with highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) were followed for 24 months and divided into two groups: patients with osteoporosis or osteopenia with fractures (Group A, n=20) and those without (Group B, n=21). Group A and B were fur...

Objective: Even though recent studies have proved the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in osteosarcoma (OSA), with this study, for the first time, the existence of CSCs in a rare high grade type of OSA, the telangiectatic osteogenic sarcoma (TOS), is showed.Methods: TOS sample was collected at the ‘Ortopedia Oncologica e Ricostruttiva Unit’, AOU Careggi, Florence, with informed consent approved by the local Ethical Committee. First of all, ...

Osteoclast-poor RANKL-dependent autosomal recessive osteopetrosis (ARO) is a rare bone disease characterized by an increase in bone density due to the failure of bone resorption by impaired osteoclast formation. Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation is not an effective therapy for this ARO form, since in bone RANKL is produced mainly by cells of mesenchymal origin. Whether also these cells, besides the osteoclast, are in some way affected by RANKL deficiency is not known. T...

Multiple myeloma is an incurable neoplastic disorder of plasma cells, which invade the bone marrow, secrete monoclonal immunoglobulins, and induce bone lesions, hypercalcemia, anemia and renal failure. The development of myeloma relies on vicious interactions with the bone microenvironment, a deeper knowledge of which is needed to identify prognostic markers and potential therapeutic targets. To achieve an unbiased, comprehensive assessment of the extracellular milieu of myelo...