Bone Abstracts

Objective: To determine serum 25-lydroxivitamin D (25OHD) and intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels in an immobilized population from Northern Spain.Subjects and methods: We studied 125 immobilized people (37 men and 88 women) aged 53–101 years. (85±8 years.). Seventy-five percent of the subjects lived at home, residing in nursing homes the remaining 25%. None of them received antiresorptive therapy, corticosteroids or vitamin D supplements. ...

Spinal cord injury (SCI) has been associated with a marked increase in bone loss. This study analysed the effect of Wnt signalling antagonists (sclerostin and DKK-1) and their relationship with bone turnover markers and BMD evolution in patients with a recent SCI.Methods: Patients with a recent complete motor SCI (AIS A or B); (<6 months) were prospectively included. Bone turnover markers (bone formation: P1NP, bone AP; bone resorption: sCTx), Wnt an...

Background and aims: Low bone formation is the main pathogenic mechanism of osteoporosis in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). Sclerostin, an inhibitor of the Wnt pathway, is involved in the regulation of osteoblastogenesis and little is known about its role in the development of bone disease in PBC. Thus, we evaluated the circulating levels of sclerostin and its relationship to bone mass, the parameters of mineral metabolism and liver disease severity.Met...

In a recent randomized controlled trial comparing vertebroplasty (VP) vs conservative treatment (CT) in patients with symptomatic vertebral fractures (VF) we observed the development of severe chronic back pain (CBP) in nearly one quarter of patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors related to the development of CBP in these subjects.Methods: We evaluated risk factors including: visual analog scale (VAS) at baseline and during the ...

Spinal cord injury (SCI) has been associated with marked bone loss and an increased risk of fractures under the SCI level. The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of recent complete SCI on bone turnover and bone mineral density (BMD) evolution and factors related to bone loss.Methods: Prospective study including patients with complete motor SCI (ASIA A or B) (<6 months). Bone turnover markers (bone formation: P1NP, bone ALP and resorption: sCT...

The aims of this study were to analyze the role of the regulators of bone remodeling, OPG and RANKL, in the bone loss associated with recent spinal cord injury (SCI) as well as the effect of antiosteoporotic therapy with denosumab in these bone regulators in a prospective study.Patients and methods: Twenty-three male patients (aged 18–67 years (mean 36±16 years)) with recent (<6 months) complete SCI were prospectively included (43.5% parapl...

Numerous studies have reported beneficial effects of multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in tissue repair and regeneration. These multipotent cells can be isolated from many different adult tissues and give rise to different cell lineages. The most well-characterized source for adult stem cells is still adult bone marrow, however in the past decade, subpopulations of stem cells have been isolated from dental tissues. Dental pulp has been identified as a promising source ...

The renal stones found in the mummies of Pandolfo III Malatesta, Lord of Fano (1370–1427) and an anonymous nobleman from Popoli (XVIII century) were investigated using different techniques. Both specimens were examined with binocular stereomicroscopy (BSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), also with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). Multiple tiny fragments from surface and inner portions were submitted to X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Subsequently, the cal...

Ancient Egyptians were well known for the art of embalming, performed in the belief that preservation of the body was essential for survival in the afterlife. During the mummification process, internal organs were removed and some of them (lungs, stomach, liver, and intestines) washed, dehydrated with natron, perfumed, and stored in so-called canopic jars, buried with the mummy. Each jar had established contents and its own protective deity. To date, a limited number of studie...

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...