Bone Abstracts

In children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), low bone mineral density (BMD) and increased risk of fractures can be observed at diagnosis and/or during treatment.This prospective study was aimed to evaluate BMD and bone turnover in patients with a new diagnosis of ALL, treated with an international protocol (AIEOP BFM ALL 2009) (*), based on high-dose steroids and chemotherapeutic drugs.Inclusion criteria wer...

Low bone mineral density (BMD) and an increased rate of both peripheral and vertebral fractures have been observed in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). However, studies specifically addressing bone metabolism, BMD and fractures in this disease are still very few.Our ongoing multicenter, prospective study is aimed to identify the characteristics of the DMD boys with a higher risk of bone loss and fractures, through the evaluation of bone tu...

Objectives: The clinical assessment of bone mass in children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is normally assessed by DXA. Further information about bone microarchitecture is obtained from bone biopsy which is invasive and requires anaesthetic. High-resolution peripheral quantitative computer tomography (HRpQCT) is an in-vivo imaging modality capable of assessing skeletal microstructure and integrity to a resolution of 80 μm. To date, no HRpQCT studies have incl...

Objective: Low bone mass is a frequent and early complication of subjects with Rett syndrome. As a consequence of the low bone mass Rett girls are at an increased risk of fragility fractures. The frequent occurrence of osteopenia raises questions regarding the direct influence of MECP2 gene mutations on bone growth and attainment of peak bone mass. It is well known that other critical factors such as the use of anticonvulsant drugs, the presence of scoliosis, the nutrition sta...

Low bone mineral density (BMD) and an increased rate of both peripheral and vertebral fractures have been observed in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), but studies on bone metabolic alterations in this disease are still very few.We are now presenting the preliminary findings of an ongoing multicenter, prospective study aimed to identify the characteristics of DMD boys carrying a higher risk of bone loss and fractures, through the evaluatio...

Background: Higher BMI values are associated with greater bone mineral density (BMD) resulting in a site-specific protective effect for fragility fractures. However, pathophysiologic influence of central adiposity on bone quality may oppose the seemingly positive influence of a greater mechanical loading with higher body masses. The objective of our study was to evaluate the impact of visceral fat on trabecular bone microarchitecture in postmenopausal obese women.<p class=...

Results of epidemiological studies indicate that paracetamol use may be a risk factor for fracture. The exact mechanism of paracetamol action remains unclear, but it is known to inhibit COX-2. Orchidectomy-induced androgen deficiency was reported to increase COX-2 expression and prostanoid release in rats. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of paracetamol on bone mechanical properties in rats with normal androgen levels and with androgen deficiency indu...

In postmenopausal women, estrogen deficiency not only interferes with the metabolism of the bone tissue, but also adversely affects the cardiovascular system and can cause hypertension. Doxazosin is often used in the treatment of resistant hypertension, especially in patients with renal failure and hyperlipidemia. Vasodilator effect of doxazosin is associated with selective blocking of α1 receptors in the smooth muscle cells of resistance arterioles. The results of epidem...

Background: Skull development is a tightly regulated process that occurs along the osteogenic interfaces of the cranial sutures that allow rapid bone formation at the edges of the bone fronts. Premature closure of cranial sutures can result in pathological conditions such as Craniosynostosis. The mechanosensory proteins Polycystin 1 (PC1) and 2 (PC2) have been shown to regulate skeletal development and potentially suture formation.Aim: The aim of study w...

: Osteonecrosis of the jaws (ONJ) is a relatively new adverse effect associated with bisphosphonate therapy, but no causal association has been established. By definition, a patient is considered to suffer from ONJ if he has current or previous treatment with a bisphosphonate, exposed bone in the maxillofacial region that has persisted for more than 8 weeks and no history of radiation therapy to the jaws. It has been proposed that ONJ could be linked with impaired topical immu...