Bone Abstracts

Osteocytes differentiate from osteoblasts, are embedded in mineralised matrix and are critical regulators of bone remodelling. In vitro osteocyte models are limited to cell lines in monolayer, which do not represent their 3D environment in vivo. We have shown that osteoblasts in 3D gels differentiate along the osteocytic pathway. Since IGF1 regulates osteoblasts, and is involved in osteocyte response to mechanical loading, we hypothesised that IGF1 modulates ...

Calcium represents one of the most versatile and universal signalling particles regulating many different cellular processes. Changes in [Ca2+]i give rise to a vast diversity of modulatory events, amongst others, influencing activities of kinases and ion channels.It was demonstrated that nuclear magnetic resonance therapy (NMRT) treatment in osteoarthritis led to reduced pain and improved function followed by increase in quality of ...

The regions of the proximal femur that are at greater risk of structural failure during a fall are those with less adaptive protection promoted by mechanical loading of the activities of daily living. Considering the associations between bone geometry of the proximal femur with bone fracture risk, we intended to examine how geometrical characteristics of the proximal femur (FNL, femoral neck length; FNW, femoral neck width; NSA, neck shaft angle) moderate the effect of mechani...

Objective(s): We aimed to determine the impact of microgravity-induced osteoporosis on the future of space programs.Material and methods: We performed a metanalysis of the available literature, finding out different studies about i) muscle atrophy due to the absence of workload, which can consequently induce bone loss; ii) the effect of long term inactivity on bone mass; iii) the effect of calcium and vitamin D supplementation in women and men in order t...

Objective(s): We aimed to determine the prevalence of osteoporosis and risk factors for bone demineralization in the Italian population.Material and methods: 3090 consecutive subjects were screened for osteoporosis by using calcaneal quantitative ultrasounds (QUS) in 16 Italian cities (women: 2635; men: 455) during the extension of the FIRMO study carried out in 2011 on about 7000 people. Anamnestic data were collected to assess the presence of recognize...

Objective(s): To assess osteoporosis risk factors for postmenopausal women and correlation with bone mineral density (BMD) in Latvia.Material and methods: A national cross-sectional study conducted in Latvia about osteoporosis risk factors in postmenopausal women and BMD determination with DXA. 1.598 women who had a DXA scan visit, took part in a study (May–October 2012). The women filled out a questionnaire with 25 multiple choice questions on oste...

Odanacatib (ODN) is an orally-active cathepsin K inhibitor being developed for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. This study evaluated the effects of ODN 50mg once weekly on BMD, bone turnover markers and safety in patients previously treated with alendronate (ALN).This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 24-month study. The primary endpoint was % change from baseline at month 24 of femoral neck (FN) BMD. Postmenopausal women (...

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...

Introduction: Paget’s bone disease (PBD) is the second most prevalent metabolic bone disease. Most patients present with pain or fracture but many remain asymptomatic. Evidence suggests a significant reduction both in its prevalence and clinical severity. Recent papers described differences in clinical course and therapeutic options in the last 10–15 years.Objective: To characterize PBD differences between patients having been diagnosed before ...

Abstract: Paget’s disease of bone (PDB) is characterised by focal lesions of local bone turnover driven by overactive osteoclasts, which often contain nuclear and cytoplasmic inclusion bodies. Mutations affecting the sequestosome-1 (SQSTM1) ubiquitin-associated (UBA) domain have been identified in individuals with PDB. SQSTM1, also known as p62, is a ubiquitously-expressed scaffold protein of 62 kDa that functions in multiple signalling pathways important for cell surviva...