Bone Abstracts

Maternal vitamin D status has been positively associated with infant bone mass in observational studies. We therefore evaluated whether 1000 IU/day cholecalciferol during pregnancy would lead to greater offspring bone mass at birth, in a UK, multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (MAVIDOS, ISRCTN82927713).At 12 weeks’ gestation, pregnant women with a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] 25-100 nmol/l were randomised to either...

Background: Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) increase the risk of fracture in patients with breast cancer. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the long-term effects of AIs on bone health in postmenopausal women with primary breast cancer.Patients and methods: We performed a retrospective longitudinal observational study in patients with breast cancer who were treated by AIs for ≧3 years (baseline T-score >–2.5). Patients with previous anti-osteoporosis...

Objectives: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in genes related to vitamin D metabolism have been associated with 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) status, but these relationships have not been examined in pregnancy or following antenatal vitamin D supplementation. We assessed whether SNPs in DHCR7 (7-dehydrocholesterol reductase), CYP2R1 (25-hydroxylase), CYP24A1 (24-hydroxylase) and GC (Vitamin D binding protein) were associated with the re...

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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 ...

Geroderma osteodysplasticum (GO) is a rare autosomal recessive connective tissue disorder characterised by progeria like facies, wrinkled lax skin, joint hypermobility, congenital dislocation of hips and propensity to fragility fractures. In the past 25 years, five patients (three females and two males) diagnosed with GO were referred to our Paediatric metabolic bone service for assessment and management of secondary bone problems. All five children were born to consanguineous...

Introduction: Activated protein C (APC) plays an important role in the cutaneous healing of chronic wounds arising from orthopaedic surgery and has cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory properties which may also assist bone repair. The aim of this study was to examine whether APC could directly influence osteoblasts and increase bone formation in a rodent model.Methods: Proliferation of MG-63 osteoblast-like cells was quantified by MTT assay and direct co...

Osteocytes make up >90% of bone cells, are embedded in mineralised matrix where they form a communication network. Osteocytes differentiate from osteoblasts, and are mechano-sensitive. They are very difficult to isolate with a dependence on cell lines for in vitro studies of osteocyte biology. Therefore new methods to study these cells are essential. Recent publications indicate that osteoblasts maintained in in vitro 3D collagen gels may differentiate to...

Antenatal glucocorticoid (GC) injections are not only used to enhance fetal lung maturation in preterm children but also for the treatment of maternal conditions such as autoimmune diseases or infections. Animal models and clinical studies suggest that the regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis is altered in the offspring of GC-treated mothers with increased sensitivity to stress.Objective: The aim of this study is i) to define t...

Epilepsy is a relatively common condition of childhood, with anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) the mainstay of medical therapy. AED use in adults has been shown to be associated with impaired bone density and increased risk of bone fracture. Paediatric data are more limited particularly in relation to fracture risk and skeletal geometry.This study aimed to examine the within-pair differences in fracture prevalence and bone, muscle and balance parameters in sex...