First-line therapy with thalidomide, dexamethasone and zoledronic acid decreases bone resorption markers in patients with multiple myeloma.

Background: Bone involvement is frequently observed in multiple myeloma (MM) patients both at diagnosis and during the course of the disease. The evaluation of biochemical markers of bone turnover could allow a dynamic evaluation of the effects of a given therapy on bone metabolism.

Methods: In the present study, markers of bone resorption [urinary free pyridinoline (PYD), deoxypyridinoline (DPYD), N-terminal telopeptide of collagen I (NTX) and C-terminal telopeptide (serum crosslaps)] and of bone formation [bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) and osteocalcin] were evaluated at diagnosis and after induction therapy in 40 patients (23M, 17F, median age = 53.

Effects of weight loss and risk factor treatment in subjects with elevated serum C3, an inflammatory predictor of myocardial infarction.

Background: Serum C3 is an inflammatory predictor of myocardial infarction and a covariate of fasting insulin and several endogenous risk factors. This study was performed to ascertain whether risk factor control may reduce elevated C3 concentrations.

Methods: After traditional risk factor and C3 assessment in 1100 unselected men aged 55-64 years, 238 men with persistently elevated C3 levels (>=1.

Maternal serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in missed and threatened abortion.

Problem: A study of association between pro-inflammatory cytokines, and missed and threatened abortions with good outcome has been performed.

Method Of Study: The presence of pro-inflammatory cytokines, namely interleukin (IL)-8 and IL-12 and the soluble interleukin-2 receptor (SIL-2R) was investigated in maternal serum of 12 patients with threatened abortion twice (at admission and discharge), 14 patients with missed abortion, 14 women with healthy first-trimester pregnancy, and 14 normal non-pregnant women, using specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

Results: SIL-2R and, in particular, IL-12 was detected with significantly higher levels in missed abortion group compared with all other groups.

T-helper 2-cytokine levels in women with threatened abortion.

Objective: Considering that successful embryo development has been immunologically attributed to a T-helper 2 phenomenon and that threatened abortion is a very frequent but pathogenetically not well-defined clinical entity, our purpose was to investigate serum levels of the main T-helper 2-type cytokines during the evolution of this condition.

Study Design: Three T-helper 2-type cytokines (interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), interleukin-13 (IL-13)) were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in serum of 12 women with threatened abortion both at hospital admission and discharge time. Fourteen women with missed abortion, 14 normal pregnant women and 14 normal non-pregnant women represent study control groups.