Paraarticular trabecular bone loss at the ultradistal radius and increased arterial stiffening in postmenopausal patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: We recently reported enhanced arterial thickening in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the importance of increased bone resorption in this process. Our aim was to examine whether arterial stiffening, another aspect of atherosclerosis, is also increased in patients with RA, and to determine if it is an important risk factor.

Methods: The subjects were 47 patients with RA and 49 healthy controls, all postmenopausal women.

Positive correlation of serum bio-intact PTH(1-84) but not intact PTH with parathyroid gland size in hemodialysis patients.

To evaluate the usefulness of newly-developed bio-intact parathyroid hormone (Bio-PTH) assay, which measures exclusively intact PTH(1-84) molecule, serum PTH level determined by Bio-PTH assay, in comparison with second-generation intact PTH (I-PTH) assay, was examined for its correlation with parathyroid gland size. Serum PTH was determined in 46 male HD patients, together with bone formation markers bone alkaline phosphatase, intact osteocalcin, N-terminal propeptide of type I collagen, and bone resorption markers deoxypyridinoline, pyridinoline, beta-crossLaps. Maximal diameter of parathyroid gland was determined with ultrasonography as the parathyroid gland size.

The significance of thyroid blood flow at the inferior thyroid artery as a predictor for early Graves' disease relapse.

Objective: We investigated the clinical usefulness of thyroid blood-flow measurement in predicting relapse of Graves' disease (GD) in comparison with known risk factors for GD relapse.

Measurement: Thyroid blood flow was measured in pulsed Doppler mode at the inferior thyroid artery (ITA), and the peak systolic velocity (PSV) calculated.

Patients: ITA-PSV was measured in euthyroid GD patients (n = 79) immediately before withdrawal of anti-thyroid drug (ATD) and in healthy subjects (n = 17).

[Correlation of serum Bio-intact PTH (1-84) and parathyroid gland size in hemodialysed patients].

Bio-intact parathyroid hormone (Bio-PTH) assay, which measures exclusively intact PTH (1-84) molecule, provides a better assay for estimating parathyroid function in hemodialysis (HD) patients, whereas intact PTH (I-PTH) assay cross-react with PTH (7-84) as well as PTH (1-84). We have found that PTH (7-84) accumulated into serum of hemodialysis patients due probably to its impaired excretion into urine. We have reported that parathyroid gland size is one of major predictor for vitamin D responsiveness in secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Serum BAP as the clinically useful marker for predicting BMD reduction in diabetic hemodialysis patients with low PTH.

With decrease of serum PTH in hemodialysis (HD) patients, other factors besides parathyroid hormone (PTH) become important in regulating bone metabolism. We investigated which serum bone metabolic marker is the best to predict the bone mineral density (BMD) reduction in HD patients with serum PTH<180 pg/ml. The bone formation markers, bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP), intact osteocalcin (OC), and N-terminal propeptide of type I collagen (PINP), and the bone resorption markers, deoxypyridinoline (DPD), pyridinoline (PYD), and beta-crossLaps (beta-CTx) were measured in serum from 137 HD patients.

Hypercalcemia in a patient with primary hyperparathyroidism and acromegaly: distinct roles of growth hormone and parathyroid hormone in the development of hypercalcemia.

We herein report a case of primary hyperparathyroidism associated with acromegaly. Although serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels increased after the resection of a pituitary adenoma, levels of serum 1a, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1, 25(OH)2D] decreased but remained above the normal upper limit. After resection of a parathyroid adenoma, serum PTH, 1, 25(OH)2D, calcium (Ca), and phosphate were all normalized.

[Clinical usefulness serum int-P I NP levels as a bone formation marker in hemodialysis patients].

Since intact collagen I amino-terminal propeptide (P I NP) is known to be cleared from blood via liver, its level in blood is hypothesized to be independent of renal function. Serum P I NP, in contrast to serum bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) and intact osteocalcin (OC), did not show any significant change between before and after a hemodialysis session. Serum P I NP correlated significantly in a positive manner with the other bone formation markers, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin and also with intact parathyroid hormone in the patients on hemodialysis.

Decrease of arterial stiffness at common carotid artery in hypothyroid patients by normalization of thyroid function.

This study examined the effect of hypothyroidism on arterial stiffening and the effect of levothyroxine (l-T(4)) replacement. The arterial stiffness index beta (stiffness beta) and intima-media thickness (IMT), a parameter of arterial stiffening and thickening, respectively, were determined in common carotid artery (CCA) by ultrasonography in 30 hypothyroid patients before and after 1 year of normalization of thyroid function by l-T(4) replacement. Baseline CCA stiffness beta and IMT was significantly higher in the hypothyroid patients than in age- and sex-matched normal controls [9.

Significance of Bio-intact PTH(1-84) assay in hemodialysis patients.

The aim of the present study was to examine whether the newly developed bio-intact parathyroid hormone (Bio-PTH) assay, which exclusively measures the intact PTH(1-84) molecule, provides a better assay for estimating parathyroid function in hemodialysis (HD) patients, and to evaluate the factors associated with serum PTH levels measured by Bio-PTH assay and by second-generation intact PTH (I-PTH) assay. The study also examined whether Bio-PTH/I-PTH ratio, an index of the active fraction of PTH, could provide information not obtainable from simple PTH results. Serum levels of PTH were measured in 177 male HD patients, together with the bone formation markers bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP), intact osteocalcin (iOC), N-midfragment osteocalcin (N-Mid OC), and N-terminal propeptide of type I collagen (PINP), and the bone resorption markers deoxypyridinoline (DPD), pyridinoline (PYD), and beta-CrossLaps (beta-CTx).

Significance of intima-media thickness in femoral artery in the determination of calcaneus osteo-sono index but not of lumbar spine bone mass in healthy Japanese people.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate whether physical activity and local arterial thickening may affect bone metabolism. To analyze the effects of physical activity and atherosclerosis on bone in healthy Japanese people, health-related quality of life (HRQL) and local arterial thickening were assessed by means of the Medical( )Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form (SF-36), and intimal-medial thickness (IMT) in common carotid artery (CA) and femoral artery (FA), respectively. Bone mineral density (BMD) in lumbar spine was measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry and the osteo-sono assessment index (OSI) of the calcaneus by ultrasound.

A case of a long-time survivor with chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with hypersensitivity to mosquito bites (HMB) and fatal EBV-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS). The prognosis of patients with chronic active EBV infection (CAEBV) is very poor. We report a rare case of an adult woman patient with a 28-yr history of HMB, who developed EBV-HPS.

Change in von Willebrand factor and carotid intima-media thickness in hypothyroid patients with normal thyroid function after levothyroxine replacement therapy.

Objective: This study examined whether levothyroxine (L-T4) replacement might affect serum markers of endothelium injury, including von Willebrand factor (vWF), factor VIII activity and thrombomodulin (TM), during normalization of increased intima-media thickness (IMT) in the common carotid artery (CCA) in hypothyroid patients after L-T4 replacement therapy.

Patients And Methods: Thirty-three hypothyroid patients were examined for vWF, factor VIII, TM and CCA IMT before and after 1 year of normalization of thyroid function by L-T4 replacement. CCA IMT was measured from digitized still images taken during scanning by high-resolution ultrasonography as an indicator of early atherosclerosis.

Decrease in carotid intima-media thickness in hypothyroid patients after normalization of thyroid function.

Objective: This case-control study was carried out to assess whether levothyroxine (L-T4) replacement might cause regression of the enhanced atherosclerosis seen in hypothyroid patients.

Patients And Methods: Intima-media thickness (IMT) in the common carotid artery (CCA) was measured from digitalized still images taken during scanning by high-resolution ultrasonography as an indicator of early atherosclerosis. Thirty-five hypothyroid patients were examined for their CCA IMT before and 1 year after normalization of thyroid function by L-T4 replacement.

Clinical usefulness of the serum N-terminal propeptide of type I collagen as a marker of bone formation in hemodialysis patients.

Background: An intact collagen I amino-terminal propeptide (PINP) assay has been developed as a useful assay for bone formation. The present study was performed to investigate the clinical usefulness of serum PINP as a bone-formation marker in hemodialysis (HD) patients.

Methods: PINP and other bone-formation markers, ie, bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) and intact osteocalcin (OC), were determined in serum samples collected from 209 HD patients.

Impaired secretion of parathyroid hormone, but not refractoriness of osteoblast, is a major mechanism of low bone turnover in hemodialyzed patients with diabetes mellitus.

Diabetic bone disease is characterized by low bone turnover resulting from either impaired secretion of parathyroid hormone (PTH) or refractoriness of osteoblasts to PTH. The present study was performed to elucidate which factor contributes more to the reduction in bone turnover by comparison between 64 hemodialyzed patients with diabetes mellitus and 106 hemodialyzed patients without diabetes mellitus. Only men were enrolled to avoid the influence of the menstrual cycle on bone metabolism.