Bone Abstracts

Osteoclasts are produced by fusion of pre-osteoclasts derived from stem cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage in the presence of receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) produced by osteoblasts. The phytoestrogens; genistein and daidzein, which are isoflavones found in Leguminosae such as soybeans, are currently being investigated for prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Some polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been shown to exert a bone protectiv...

OPTN encodes a cytoplasmic protein optineurin which has been shown to play a role in autophagy. Recent GWAS studies have shown that variants within OPTN are associated with the risk of Paget’s disease of bone, a disease characterized by focal areas of increased bone turnover due to increased osteoclast activity, suggesting a possible role of OPTN in the regulation of bone metabolism.The aim of this study was to investigate the role of optineurin in ...

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...

Since the identification of LRP5 as the causative gene for the osteoporosis pseudoglioma syndrome (OPPG) as well as the high bone mass (HBM) phenotype, LRP5 and the Wnt/β-catenin signalling have been extensively studied for their role in the differentiation and proliferation of osteoblasts, in the apoptosis of osteoblasts and osteocytes and in the response of bone to mechanical loading. However, more recently the direct effect of LRP5 on osteoblasts and bone formation has...

The murine osteoprogenitor cell line, KS483 (Percuros, The Netherlands) is a well-established model for investigation of osteoblast differentiation and bone formation processes. The mesenchymal characteristics of this cell line allow it to differentiate into either adipocytes or mature, mineralizing osteoblasts. Various phases can be distinguished during osteoblast differentiation and maturation; namely proliferation, matrix formation, matrix maturation, and mineralization.</p...

The Runt-domain transcription factors Runx2 and Runx3 are known to drive chondrocyte maturation from prehypertrophic to the terminal stage. The RUNX family proteins form dimers with CBFb, and bind to consensus sequences of 5′-PuACCPuCa-3′ upstream of target genes to activate or repress transcription.To address the role of Runx3 transcription factor in zebrafish, we have isolated the different splice variants encoding distinct runx3 p...

The literature has suggested that bone mineral content is modulated by muscle mass and activity. We investigated the relationship between DXA assessed total body bone mineral content, total body lean mass, appendicular lean mass and obesity (a possible marker of inactivity) in a population of 73 boys between the age of 7 and 19 using a Norland XR-46 system.Regression analysis shows that in these growing boys there is a strong positive relationship betwee...

Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the usefulness of the fracture risk evaluated through the FRAX® model based only on the clinical risk factors as a screening tool for identify the target population for treatment in osteoporosis.Materials and methods: Two hundred and seventy-six postmenopausal women treatment naive referred to two different endocrinology departments for osteoporosis between 2009 and 2011 were evaluated. The FRAX® model ...

Objective: To analyze the effects of statins on bone mineral density (BMD), in participants from a large population-based cohort.Subjects and methods: We studied 2315 subjects (1422 women and 893 men) from the Camargo Cohort, and analyzed the differences in BMD between statin or non-statin users. We also studied the effect of the type of statin, dose, pharmacokinetic properties, and length of treatment, on BMD.Results: Four hundred...

Background and aims: Cirrhosis and chronic pancreatitis (CP) are accompanied by inflammation and malnutrition. Both conditions may affect bone metabolism negatively and facilitate bone fractures. The objective of this study was to evaluate the risk of fractures among patients with CP or cirrhosis and the impact of fat malabsorption on fracture risk among patients with CP.Methods: Using the Danish National Patient Register, we did a retrospective cohort s...