Bone Abstracts

Objective: Bisphosphonates (BPs) are widely used in treatment of pediatric patients with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) and their beneficial effect on bone density and fracture rates has been well reported. Atypical femoral fracture is a potential complication of bisphosphonates, usually occurring after several years of BP treatment in postmenopausal women. Some evidence suggests increased proportion of subtrochanteric femoral fractures in children with OI after prolonged use of...

Although the fracture risk reduction under bisphosphonate treatment in osteoporosis is clinically well established, it remains understudied why the efficacy of bisphosphonate therapy is higher for the prevention of vertebral fractures compared to other fractures.Our aim was to investigate whether anti-resorptive therapy with alendronate would result in different regional variations of structural indices in the vertebral body. We investigated the microstr...

A decrease or absence of beta-globin production in erythroid cells causes a hereditary anemic disorder known as beta-thalassemia, which is associated with ineffective erythropoiesis, iron overload, growth retardation, osteopenia, and osteoporosis. Our recent investigation revealed that beta-thalassemia led to osteoclast-mediated bone resorption and the impaired intestinal calcium absorption, the latter of which modestly responded to conventional 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3</...

Pseudohypoaldosteronism type II (PHAII) is a hereditary disease characterized by hypertension, hypercalciuria and osteopenia. PHAII is caused by mutations in with-no-lysine kinase 1 (WNK1), WNK4, or the cullin RING ligase family members kelch-like 3 (KLHL3) or cullin 3 (CUL3). All mutations result in up-regulation of the WNK signalling pathway which activates thiazide-sensitive Na-Cl cotransporters (NCC) in renal distal tubules, leading to salt retention and hypertension in PH...

Bisphosphonates are used in the treatment of a variety of diseases with skeletal complications. With the development of more potent compounds, there is the potential for further improvement. One concept is to use compounds with a reduced affinity for bone, reducing their long-term retention and possible adverse events, as well as potentially enhancing their non-skeletal benefits. We hypothesise that a highly potent bisphosphonate with low bone affinity, known as OX14, will be ...

Clinical trials suggest that denosumab (DEN) therapy results in greater increases in bone mineral density (BMD) in treatment-naive patients than in patients switched from bisphosphonates.We retrospectively reviewed charts of all patients treated with DEN at an osteoporosis referral centre in Vancouver, Canada including all patients treated with DEN 60 mg SC every 6 months for 1 year or more, and in whom baseline and follow-up BMDs were available. BMD was...

Clinical trials involving drug therapies for postmenopausal osteoporosis typically compare effects of the active drug combined with vitamin D (vit D) and calcium (Ca) vs vit D and Ca supplementation on its own. Bone strength is estimated based on the amount of bone, frequently expressed as bone mineral density determined by dual X-ray absorptiometry, and quality of bone, hardly measured in clinical practice.The purpose of the present study was to compare...

Objectives: To compare and contrast the natural history of osteoporosis and response to zoledronate in children and adolescents with Duchene muscular dystrophy (DMD), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) or other congenital muscular dystrophies (CMD).Methods: A retrospective medical record review of fracture history, treatment and bone mineral densitometry of children managed at a tertiary centre in Sydney over the last 6 years.Results: A...

Objectives: Synovial fluid glutamate concentrations increase in various arthritides. Activation of kainate (KA) and AMPA glutamate receptors (GluRs) increase interleukin 6 (IL6) release and cause arthritic pain respectively. GluR antagonists represent potential peripheral treatments for inflammatory arthritis and inflammatory mechanisms that contribute to osteoarthritis (OA). We hypothesised that AMPA and KA GluRs are expressed in arthritic joint tissues and that peripheral ad...

There is a growing evidence of the association between HIV infection and fracture risk. Independently of its cause (antiretroviral therapy (ART) or HIV), what remains most important is a prompt diagnosis. Although densitometry is the gold standard, sometimes this technique is not as accurate as necessary in clinical practice. A new validated tool for early and more accurate diagnosis is presented.MethodsIn a HIV group of patients, ...