Dual X-ray absorptiometry-derived bone status indexes and videocapsule intestinal aspects in celiac disease.

Background And Aim: Celiac disease is a risk factor for osteopenia and osteoporosis. Our aim was to evaluate the possible correlation between villous atrophy extension and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-derived parameters of bone status.

Methods: We have retrospectively analyzed data of 47 celiac patients (36 women, 52 ± 14 years of age) who underwent video capsule endoscopy and DXA scans within 1 year of interval from 2006 to 2019.

Bone Strain Index predicts fragility fracture in osteoporotic women: an artificial intelligence-based study.

Background: We applied an artificial intelligence-based model to predict fragility fractures in postmenopausal women, using different dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) parameters.

Methods: One hundred seventy-four postmenopausal women without vertebral fractures (VFs) at baseline (mean age 66.3 ± 9.

Bone strain index as a predictor of further vertebral fracture in osteoporotic women: An artificial intelligence-based analysis.

Background: Osteoporosis is an asymptomatic disease of high prevalence and incidence, leading to bone fractures burdened by high mortality and disability, mainly when several subsequent fractures occur. A fragility fracture predictive model, Artificial Intelligence-based, to identify dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) variables able to characterise those patients who are prone to further fractures called Bone Strain Index, was evaluated in this study.

Methods: In a prospective, longitudinal, multicentric study 172 female outpatients with at least one vertebral fracture at the first observation were enrolled.

Usefulness of Dual X-ray Absorptiometry-Derived Bone Geometry and Structural Indexes in Mastocytosis.

Reduced bone mass with or without fragility fractures is a common feature of mastocytosis, particularly in adult males. However, bone mineral density does not account for all the fragility fractures, being a part of them attributable to impairment in bone quality. Aim of this study is to assess the usefulness of DXA-derived geometry and structural indexes in the assessment of bone status in mastocytosis.

Bone strain index in the prediction of vertebral fragility refracture.

Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) can provide quantitative (bone mineral density, BMD) and qualitative (trabecular bone score, TBS) indexes of bone status, able to predict fragility fractures in most osteoporotic patients. A new qualitative index of bone strength, based on finite element analysis and named bone strain index (BSI), has been recently developed from lumbar DXA scan. We present the preliminary results about the BSI ability to predict a refracture in patients with fragility fractures.

Artificial neural network analysis of bone quality DXA parameters response to teriparatide in fractured osteoporotic patients.

Teriparatide is a bone-forming therapy for osteoporosis that increases bone quantity and texture, with uncertain action on bone geometry. No data are available regarding its influence on bone strain. To investigate teriparatide action on parameters of bone quantity and quality and on Bone Strain Index (BSI), also derived from DXA lumbar scan, based on the mathematical model finite element method.

Reproducibility of DXA-based bone strain index and the influence of body mass: an in vivo study.

Objectives: Bone strain index (BSI) is a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-derived index of bone strength obtained from lumbar densitometric scan. We estimated the reproducibility of BSI in healthy women with different body mass index.

Methods: We enrolled postmenopausal women (mean age ± SD: 66 ± 10 years) divided into three groups (A, B and C) according to body mass index (BMI: < 25; 25-29.

Usefulness of bone microarchitectural and geometric DXA-derived parameters in haemophilic patients.

Introduction: Haemophilia is a recessive X-linked inherited bleeding disorder, whose typical symptom is spontaneous intra-articular haemorrhage leading to joint damage, which can be quantified by the Haemophilia Joint Health Score (HJHS). Arthropathy and other characteristics of haemophilic patients may reduce bone mineral density (BMD), increasing the risk for fragility fractures, which also may occur due to bone quality impairment.

Aim: To evaluate bone quantity by BMD and bone quality by Trabecular Bone Score (TBS), bone strain (BS) and hip structural analysis (HSA) in a haemophilic population, and to relate these parameters to general and specific risk factors for osteoporosis and to HJHS.

Pediatric dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in clinical practice: What the clinicians need to know.

The importance of childhood and adolescence for bone development and mineral accrual is increasingly accepted, leading to a need of suitable methods for monitoring bone health even in pediatric setting. Among the several different imaging methods available for clinical measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) in children, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the most widely available and commonly used due to its reproducibility, negligible radiation dose and reliable pediatric reference data. Nevertheless, DXA in children has some technical specific features that should be known by those physicians who interpret and report this examination.

Increasing soft tissue thickness does not affect trabecular bone score reproducibility: a phantom study.

Purpose: Trabecular Bone Score (TBS) provides an indirect score of trabecular microarchitecture from lumbar spine (LS) dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Increasing soft tissue thickness artifactually reduces TBS values; we evaluated the effect of a fictitious increase of soft tissue thickness on TBS and bone mineral density (BMD) reproducibility on a phantom model.

Methods: A Hologic spine phantom was scanned with a QDR-Discovery W Hologic densitometer.

The role of carboxy-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen, dual x-ray absorptiometry bone strain and Romberg test in a new osteoporotic fracture risk evaluation: A proposal from an observational study.

The consolidated way of diagnosing and treating osteoporosis in order to prevent fragility fractures has recently been questioned by some papers, which complained of overdiagnosis and consequent overtreatment of this pathology with underestimating other causes of the fragility fractures, like falls. A new clinical approach is proposed for identifying the subgroup of patients prone to fragility fractures. This retrospective observational study was conducted from January to June 2015 at the Nuclear Medicine-Bone Metabolic Unit of the of the Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Milan, Italy.

Assessment of Bone Quality in Osteoporosis Treatment with Bone Anabolic Agents: Really Something New?

Osteoporosis is a chronic pathologic condition, particularly of the elderly, in which a reduction of bone mineral density (BMD) weakens bone, leading to the so-called fragility fractures, most often of spine and femur. The gold standard exam for the quantitative measurement of BMD is the dual X-ray photon absorptiometry (DXA), a radiological method. However, a relevant number of fragility fractures occurs in the range of normal BMD values, meaning that also qualitative aspects of bone play a role, namely bone architecture and bone geometry.

PNPLA3 148M Carriers with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Have Higher Susceptibility to Hepatic Steatosis and Higher Liver Enzymes.

Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are characterized by chronic relapsing inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and encompass Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. IBD are often associated with extraintestinal manifestations affecting multiple organs including the liver. Increased levels of serum aminotransferases, possibly related to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, constitute one of the most frequently described IBD-related liver diseases.

Managing osteoporosis in ulcerative colitis: something new?

The authors revise the latest evidence in the literature regarding managing of osteoporosis in ulcerative colitis (UC), paying particular attention to the latest tendency of the research concerning the management of bone damage in the patient affected by UC. It is wise to assess vitamin D status in ulcerative colitis patients to recognize who is predisposed to low levels of vitamin D, whose deficiency has to be treated with oral or parenteral vitamin D supplementation. An adequate dietary calcium intake or supplementation and physical activity, if possible, should be guaranteed.

Dose absorption in lumbar and femoral dual energy X-ray absorptiometry examinations using three different scan modalities: an anthropomorphic phantom study.

The aim of this study was to measure the effective dose on an anthropomorphic phantom undergoing lumbar and femoral dual energy X-ray absorption (DXA) examinations, using 3 different scan modalities (fast-array [FA], array [A], high-definition [HD]), and assess the differences in the lifetime attributable risk (LAR) of cancer due to radiation. An anthropomorphic phantom was used. Thermoluminescent dosimeters were placed over 12 anatomic phantom regions and outside the room (to measure background radiation).

Absence of mucosal inflammation in uncomplicated diverticular disease.

Background: Uncomplicated diverticular disease is a common condition in patients older than 50 years. Symptoms are aspecific and overlapping with those of irritable bowel syndrome. Nowadays, patients are often treated with antinflammatory drugs (5-aminosalicilic acid).

Isolation and culture of fibroblasts from endoscopic duodenal biopsies of celiac patients.

Background: Fibroblasts are actually considered pivotal in inflammation and tissue remodelling process and for these reasons they are involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders such as celiac disease. Investigations to define the role of fibroblasts in celiac diseases are obstructed by the absence of specific models. Our objective is to isolate and culture primary fibroblasts from endoscopic duodenal biopsies of celiac and non-celiac subjects, to analyze their growth patterns and the morphometric characteristics.

Increased serum OPG in atrophic nonunion shaft fractures.

Background: Bone repair alteration is hypothesized for nonunion fracture pathogenesis. Since it is involved in osteoclast regulation, the RANK/RANKL/OPG system (receptor activator of nuclear factor kB/its ligand/osteoprotegerin) may play a role.

Materials And Methods: Serum OPG, free RANKL, bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP), osteocalcin (OC), and urinary deoxypyridinoline (DPD) were determined in 16 male patients (20-39 years) with long bone atrophic nonunion fractures.

Plasma chromogranin a in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Circulating chromogranin A (CgA) levels, a marker for neuroendocrine tumors including carcinoids, have recently been found elevated in some patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), although their significance is unclear. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate CgA levels and their possible relationship with clinical and biochemical disease activity indexes in 119 IBD patients.

Methods: The study groups comprised 75 patients with ulcerative colitis, 44 with Crohn's disease, in both active and quiescent phases, and 85 controls.

Autoimmune disorders in patients affected by celiac sprue and inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Although clinically different, celiac sprue and inflammatory bowel disease are characterized by chronic intestinal inflammation and associated extraintestinal manifestations.

Aims: To assess and compare the presence of autoimmune disorders in patients affected by celiac sprue and inflammatory bowel disease referred to a single tertiary centre.

Methods: From October 2005 to January 2006, a total of 297 consecutive outpatients were enrolled in this cross-sectional study.

Pancreatic involvement in von Hippel-Lindau disease: report of two cases and review of the literature.

Background: Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is an autosomal dominant multicancer syndrome caused by the germline mutation of a tumor suppressor gene. Affected individuals develop benign and malignant tumors of the central nervous system, kidneys, adrenal glands, pancreas, and reproductive system. Although VHL disease is mainly diagnosed after the detection of central nervous system tumors, they may not always be the first presentation.

LC-MS/MS and FT-IR analyses of stones from a patient with Crohn's disease: a case report.

This report describes the unusual case of a patient affected by Crohn's disease suffering from intestinal obstruction with recurrent occlusive symptoms not due to the intestinal disease, but to the presence of two calcified foreign bodies in the pelvis. The stones were surgically removed and analysed by reverse-phase liquid chromatography coupled to UV diode array detection and mass spectrometry (LC-UV-DAD-MS/MS), Chromatoprobe-MS/MS and by Fourier-transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) techniques. The combined mass spectrometric approaches allowed unequivocally to identify 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) in stone 1, and to demonstrate that its formation was due to an unmodified 5-ASA tablet, a formulation that must undergo complete dissolution in the small bowel.

Possible protective effect of 5-aminosalicylic acid on Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Goals: To evaluate the prevalence of (Hp) infection in a group of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) outpatients and the possible influence of treatment.

Background: The low prevalence of Hp infection in these patients is usually attributed to environmental factors; the role of drugs has not been fully investigated.

Study: Seventy-two consecutive outpatients underwent a C13-urea breath test for Hp: 32 with Crohn's disease (13 men; mean age, 48 years; range, 20-72 years) and 40 with ulcerative colitis (25 men; mean age, 49 years; range, 25-71 years).

Effect of kidney transplantation on bone mass and body composition in males.

Background: Bone loss is a frequent and well-known complication in the first months after renal transplantation, but there are no data considering body composition variables (bone, fat, and lean mass) together in transplant recipients. This prospective study investigated total body bone density, fat mass, and lean mass before and 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 months after renal transplantation in male patients who underwent hemodialysis.

Methods: Twenty consecutive renal transplant male patients aged 23-64 years (mean, 40 years; median, 41 years) received one of two immunosuppressive therapies (cyclosporine+methylprednisolone, or cyclosporine+methylprednisolone+azathioprine).