A Pilot Study of the Gut Microbiota in Spine Fusion Surgery Patients.

Background: The microbiome has been identified as a contributor to bone quality. As skeletal health is critical to success of orthopedic surgery, the gut microbiome may be a modifiable factor associated with postoperative outcomes. For spine fusion surgery in particular, bone formation and sufficient bone mineral density are essential for successful outcomes.

Proceedings of the 2024 Santa Fe Bone Symposium: Update on the Management of Osteoporosis and Rare Bone Diseases.

The 24 Annual Santa Fe Bone Symposium (SFBS) was held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, on August 2-3, 2024. This was a "hybrid" meeting, with in-person and real-time remote participants representing a broad range of geographical locations and medical disciplines. The focus was on new developments in the care of patients with osteoporosis, other metabolic bone diseases, and inherited skeletal disorders.

Individuals with heterogenous trabecular bone texture by clinical magnetic resonance imaging have lower bone strength and stiffness by quantitative computed tomography-based finite element analysis.

Opportunistic screening is essential to improve the identification of individuals with osteoporosis. Our group has utilized image texture features to assess bone quality using clinical MRIs. We have previously demonstrated that greater heterogeneity of MRI texture related to history of fragility fractures, lower bone density, and worse microarchitecture.

Pooled clinical trial analyses evaluating outcomes of HER2-low vs HER2-0 expression in patients with metastatic breast cancer following chemotherapy.

The therapeutic importance of subsetting patients with HER2-negative breast cancer according to their tumors' cellular HER2 expression (e.g., HER2-low vs.

Cellular signatures in human blood track bone mineral density in postmenopausal women.

Osteoclasts are the sole bone-resorbing cells and are formed by the fusion of osteoclast precursor cells (OCPs) derived from myeloid lineage cells. Animal studies reveal that circulating OCPs (cOCPs) in blood travel to bone and fuse with bone-resident osteoclasts. However, the characteristics of human cOCPs and their association with bone diseases remain elusive.

Disease Activity and Bone Microarchitectural Phenotype in Patients With Axial Spondyloarthritis.

Background: Axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA) is a chronic rheumatic disease characterized by spine inflammation, abnormal bone growth, and paradoxically osteoporosis and vertebral fractures. The pathogenesis of skeletal deficits in this disease is poorly understood.

Purpose: We sought to evaluate volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) and bone microarchitecture in patients with AxSpA and to identify disease-related factors associated with skeletal abnormalities.

Coordinated translational control of multiple immune checkpoints by the integrated stress response pathway in lung cancer.

Unlabelled: The integrated stress response (ISR) is an adaptive pathway hijacked by cancer cells to survive cellular stresses in the tumor microenvironment. ISR activation potently induces Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1), leading to suppression of anti-tumor immunity. Here we sought to uncover additional immune checkpoint proteins regulated by the ISR to elucidate mechanisms of tumor immune escape.

Additively manufactured micro-lattice dielectrics for multiaxial capacitive sensors.

Soft sensors that can perceive multiaxial forces, such as normal and shear, are of interest for dexterous robotic manipulation and monitoring of human performance. Typical planar fabrication techniques have substantial design constraints that often prohibit the creation of functionally compelling and complex architectures. Moreover, they often require multiple-step operations for production.

Epidural steroid injections and fracture incidence among older individuals with radiculopathy.

Epidural steroid injections (ESIs) are a common and often effective treatment for radicular back pain. While oral glucocorticoids increase fracture incidence, little is known regarding fracture risk after ESI. This study investigated the incidence of fractures among individuals who received ESI and those who did not.

Synthesis, characterization and comparative biological activity of a novel set of Cu(II) complexes containing azole-based ligand frames.

The synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of three complexes containing a substituted 2-(2-pyridyl)benzothiazole (PyBTh) group in the ligand frame are reported along with the comparative biological activity. The ligands have been substituted at the 6-position with either a methoxy (Py(OMe)BTh) or a methyl group (Py(Me)BTh). Reaction of Py(OMe)BTh with either CuCl or Cu(NO)·2.

Long-term Pegvisomant Therapy of Acromegaly: Effects on Bone Density, Turnover and Microstructure Using HRpQCT.

Context: Fracture rate is increased in patients with active acromegaly and those in remission. Abnormalities of bone microstructure are present in patients with active disease and persist despite biochemical control after surgery. Effects of treatment with the GH receptor antagonist pegvisomant on bone microstructure were unknown.

The performance of artificial intelligence chatbot large language models to address skeletal biology and bone health queries.

Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots utilizing large language models (LLMs) have recently garnered significant interest due to their ability to generate humanlike responses to user inquiries in an interactive dialog format. While these models are being increasingly utilized to obtain medical information by patients, scientific and medical providers, and trainees to address biomedical questions, their performance may vary from field to field. The opportunities and risks these chatbots pose to the widespread understanding of skeletal health and science are unknown.

Skeletal muscle and visceral adipose radiodensities are pre-surgical, non-invasive markers of aggressive kidney cancer.

Introduction: Most studies on body composition in kidney cancer have been conducted among patients with metastatic disease. Given that aggressive tumours can adversely impact body composition and even non-metastatic tumours can be aggressive, we evaluated associations between pre-surgical body composition features and tumour pathological features in patients with non-metastatic clear cell renal cell cancer (ccRCC).

Methods: The Resolve Cohort consists of 1239 patients with non-metastatic ccRCC who underwent nephrectomy at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center between 2000 and 2020.

Perspectives of young adults diagnosed with early psychosis using coordinated specialty care in Texas on substance use and substance use interventions.

Aim: Despite known prevalence of substance use (SU) among young people experiencing early psychosis and increasing evidence for the relationship between certain substances (e.g., cannabis) and psychosis, there are no specialized interventions developed for effectively addressing substance use among young people participating in coordinated early psychosis services.

Pre-operative bone quality deficits and risk of complications following spine fusion surgery among postmenopausal women.

Unlabelled: Poor bone quality is a risk factor for complications after spinal fusion surgery. This study investigated pre-operative bone quality in postmenopausal women undergoing spine fusion and found that those with small bones, thinner cortices and surgeries involving more vertebral levels were at highest risk for complications.

Purpose: Spinal fusion is one of the most common surgeries performed worldwide.

Persistent Deficits in Bone Quality in Treated Acromegaly: Evidence From Assessments of Microstructure.

Purpose: Fractures are increased in patients with acromegaly, both before and after successful acromegaly treatment. Abnormalities of bone microstructure, which may underlie this fragility, are present in active acromegaly but to what extent these improve with acromegaly treatment or persist despite biochemical remission remains unclear. To examine these questions, we studied the effects of acromegaly treatment and remission on bone quality.

Vitamin D and SARS-CoV-2 Infection: SERVE Study (SARS-CoV-2 Exposure and the Role of Vitamin D among Hospital Employees).

Background: Recognition of the role of vitamin D in immune function has led to interest in its relationship with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Although clinical studies to date have had conflicting results, many individuals currently take high doses of vitamin D to prevent infection.

Objective: The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) and vitamin D supplement use with incident SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Opportunistic Evaluation of Trabecular Bone Texture by MRI Reflects Bone Mineral Density and Microarchitecture.

Context: Many individuals at high risk for fracture are never evaluated for osteoporosis and subsequently do not receive necessary treatment. Utilization of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is burgeoning, providing an ideal opportunity to use MRI to identify individuals with skeletal deficits. We previously reported that MRI-based bone texture was more heterogeneous in postmenopausal women with a history of fracture compared to controls.

Peripheral cortical bone density predicts vertebral bone mineral properties in spine fusion surgery patients.

Spine fusion surgery is one of the most common orthopedic procedures, with over 400,000 performed annually to correct deformities and pain. However, complications occur in approximately one third of cases. While many of these complications may be related to poor bone quality, it is difficult to detect bone abnormalities prior to surgery.

Associations between Pretreatment Body Composition Features and Clinical Outcomes among Patients with Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Treated with Immune Checkpoint Blockade.

Purpose: High body mass index (BMI) may lead to improved immune-checkpoint blockade (ICB) outcomes in metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mccRCC). However, BMI is a crude body size measure. We investigated BMI and radiographically assessed body composition (BC) parameters association with mccRCC ICB outcomes.

Epidural Steroid Injections Acutely Suppress Bone Formation Markers in Postmenopausal Women.

Context: Over 9 million epidural steroid injections (ESIs) are performed annually in the United States. Although these injections effectively treat lumbar radicular pain, they may have adverse consequences, including bone loss.

Objective: To investigate acute changes in bone turnover following ESI.

Association of Biochemically Verified Post-Diagnosis Smoking and Nonmuscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer Recurrence Risk.

Purpose: Our goal was to determine the association between biochemically verified post-diagnosis smoking exposure and nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) recurrence risk.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a prospective study of 354 NMIBC patients with a smoking history undergoing care between 2015 and 2018. Patients contributed at least 2 biospecimens during followup which were tested for cotinine to determine biochemically verified post-diagnosis smoking exposure (yes/no).