Pamidronate increases bone mineral density in women with postmenopausal or steroid-induced osteoporosis.

Introduction: We aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of a cyclic intravenous therapy with pamidronate in patients with postmenopausal or glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.

Methods: We enrolled 86 Austrian female patients with postmenopausal (n = 69, mean age 68.13 +/- 1.

Evidence for hyaluronan production in the air pouch model in rats.

Objective: The aim of our work was to investigate the presence of hyaluronan (HA) in the rat air pouch and its behaviour in response to inflammatory stimuli.

Methods: HA levels (by a microplate assay) and the leucocyte count were determined in the fluid obtained from air pouches in which acute or subacute inflammation had been induced by the injection of monosodium urate crystals (MSU) or high density polyethylene (HDPE) debris respectively and in relative controls.

Results: In control pouches of both groups, remarkable levels of HA were found; these levels were higher in the very first hours (2475 and 1850 micrograms/l at 6 hrs) and then gradually decreased.

A comparative quantitative morphometric study of cell apoptosis in synovial membranes in psoriatic, reactive and rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: Inflammatory arthritides/synovitides such as psoriatic (PsA), reactive (ReA) and rheumatoid (RA) arthritis share numerous immunopathological features, but develop different patterns of joint involvement. To investigate whether distinctive cell apoptosis may play a role in this context, we have assessed synovial cell apoptosis in situ in PsA and ReA, and compared it with RA and 'non-inflammatory' controls.

Methods: TdT-mediated dUTP nick end-labelling (TUNEL) of DNA breaks complemented immunoperoxidase staining for CD68 or LCA as the specific cell markers.

Are Angiotensin Converting Enzyme and von Willebrand factor circulating levels useful surrogate parameters to monitor disease activity in Kawasaki disease?

To verify if Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) and von Willebrand factor (vWF) may be used as a laboratory marker for the follow-up of endothelial derangement and therapeutic efficacy in Kawasaki disease (KD), circulating ACE, vWF routine hematological tests and cardiac involvement were assessed in 32 children with established diagnosis of KD before and up to six months after intravenous gamma-globulins (i.v.IG) treatment.

T cell derived cytokines in psoriatic arthritis synovial fluids.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the concentrations of T cell derived cytokines in the synovial fluids (SFs) of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in comparison with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: Th1 type cytokines (interleukin 2 (IL2), tumour necrosis factor beta (TNF beta), and interferon gamma (INF gamma) and Th2 type cytokines (IL4, IL10) were measured by means of enzyme linked immunosorbent assays.

Results: IL2 was usually not detectable in any of the disease groups.