[Spontaneous remission of corticosteroid osteopenia after successful surgical treatment of Cushing's syndrome. A cross-sectional study].

Background: Osteoporosis is one of the most serious consequences of Cushing's syndrome. Only a small number of longitudinal observations on bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with treated Cushing's syndrome have been reported so far. To evaluate changes in bone mass in patients with Cushing's syndrome after surgical cure of the disease, BMD was evaluated cross-sectionally.

[Comparison of the effectiveness of 17-beta-estradiol and calcitonin in women with postmenopausal bone loss].

Background: The objective of this study was to compare effects of 17 beta-estradiol and intranasal salmon calcitonin on bone mass and biochemical markers of bone turnover in postmenopausal women with an accelerated bone loss and osteopenia or osteoporosis.

Methods And Results: 72 women with significantly increased bone resorption were evaluated (urinary hydroxyproline/creatinine > or = 21.9 mmol/mol, mean age, 53.

Immunocytochemical detection of estrogen receptors in bone cells using flow cytometry.

A sensitive method for immunocytochemical detection of estrogen receptors using flow cytometry is reported. Using this method, estrogen receptors were detected in several osteoblastic cell lines with established expression of estrogen receptors, and for the first time, estrogen receptors were also demonstrated in murine fibroblasts and in human primary marrow stromal cells. The distribution of estrogen receptors within all cell lines was unimodal.

[What do we know about the significance of vitamin D in Paget's disease of the bone?].

Background: The authors present a report on the importance of vitamin D metabolites in Paget's disease of bone and on blood levels of some biologically active vitamin D metabolites in patients with Paget's disease of bone. Data on vitamin D metabolism in tests of new bisphosphonates are inadequate.

Methods And Results: In 18 men and 6 women the activity of Paget's disease of bone was investigated by assessment of the serum activity of the bone isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase, the plasma osteocalcin concentration and urinary hydroxyproline excretion.

Galactosyl hydroxylysine in assessment of Paget's bone disease.

Urinary galactosyl hydroxylysine/creatinine ratio (GHL) was used to assess rates of bone collagen degradation and the activity of the pagetic lesion as well as for monitoring the rate and degree of suppression of bone resorption over 1 year in patients treated with 30 mg of intravenous pamidronate for 3 consecutive days. The clinical utility of GHL was compared with that of urinary hydroxyproline/creatinine and deoxypyridinoline/creatinine and with bone isoenzyme of serum alkaline phosphatase. The results suggest that GHL is a quantitative marker of the activity of Paget's bone disease.

Somatometric and hormonal effects of dexfenfluramine.

The effect of dexfenfluramine, the new serotoninergic appetite suppressor, was tested in 20 women. The drug was administered 3 months, 15 mg twice a day. A selected reduction of carbohydrate and of fat intake was observed.

Anabolic effects of progestogens in bone remodelling.

The short-term effects of oestrogen deficiency on biochemical indices of bone turnover were studied in 49 women who had undergone hysterectomy with bilateral ovariectomy. In patients treated with norethisterone or tibolone, a significant reduction was observed in urinary hydroxyproline excretion comparable to that observed in estradiol treated patients. Bone isoenzyme of serum alkaline phosphatase activity did not decrease and bone mass remained increased during norethisterone and tibolone treatments.

Metabolic bone status in young women with JCA.

The study was based on clinical, densitometric and biochemical evaluations and on a life-style questionnaire, applied in a cohort of 41 individuals. The mean age of the young women was 24.2 (18-36) years.

Two cases of pseudohypoparathyroidism in adolescent boys.

Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) is characterized by end organ resistance to parathyroid hormone (PTH). PHP type Ia consists of Albright's osteodystrophy and resistance to PTH. In PHP type Ib physical appearance is normal and there is no response to PTH in U-cAMP excretion.

Bone and mineral metabolism in transient hyperphosphatasaemia.

Transient hyperphosphatasaemia (TH) is a benign disorder characterized by transient elevation of S-ALP activity not exceeding duration of 4 months in children under 5 years of age, with elevated activity of bone isoenzymes of ALP with no signs of bone or liver disease and variable unrelated symptoms. We observed 19 children with TH and in 3 patients with markedly elevated S-ALP activity we found increased excretion of urinary hydroxyproline, suggesting increased bone resorption followed by bone formation. In 3 children with history of TH, bone mineral density (BMD) was measured and found to be normal.

Calciuria in children with juvenile chronic arthritis.

Demineralization of bone is a frequent finding in children with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA). Recently there have been reports about hypercalciuria accompanying JCA. This is believed to be associated with increased bone resorption due to cytokines and immobility of the patients and steroid treatment.

Juvenile chronic arthritis--bone mineral density in relation to corticosteroid therapy.

Bone demineralization often accompanies juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA). Fourteen patients with confirmed diagnosis of JCA had their bone mineral density (BMD) measured with the use of dual photon X-ray absorptiometry. The results obtained were compared to the Lunar BMD DPXA standards.

[Paget's disease of bone and treatment with pamidronate].

The authors treated 18 patients with Paget's disease of bone (12 men and 6 women, age 65 +/- 5 years) with pamidronate (bisphosphonate of the second generation). Three patients from this group were treated previously without success with calcitonin or bisphosphonate of the first generation (etidronate) 50% of the patients suffered from the polyostotic form of the disease. In one patient a rare combination of primary hyperparathyroidism with Paget's bone disease was found and in another patient later an osteosarcoma developed in the affected bone.

A case of transient hyperphosphatasaemia following vitamin D-deficient rickets.

A seven-month-old boy with a diagnosis of vitamin-D deficiency rickets is presented. After treatment with vitamin-D, biochemical and radiological improvement was noted. At 14-months of age the plasma akaline phosphatase activity valve was found to be elevated even though rickets was not present.

Metabolic bone status in young women with juvenile chronic arthritis.

A group of 26 young women (18-36 years of age) with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA, duration 8-33 years) was investigated for bone metabolism and mineral status. Six of the patients were receiving longterm corticosteroid therapy, and 5 had received corticosteroid treatment in the past. Serum osteocalcin and urinary hydroxyproline were significantly elevated in 17 and 14 of the 26 patients, respectively, compared with healthy controls.

[The risk for osteoporosis in persons treated with thyroid hormones].

Patients taking suppressive doses of thyroid hormones may have adverse effects from such treatment. To test conditions under which such treatment might be deleterious to bone, we studied a group of patients who had undergone thyroidectomy because of thyroid cancer 1 to 21 years previously and were treated with steady suppressive doses of exogenous thyroid hormone. The group consisted from 13 men, 20 premenopausal and 25 postmenopausal women.

Biochemical assessment of bone loss in patients on long-term thyroid hormone treatment.

To test conditions under which thyroid hormone might be deleterious to bone, we studied a group of 58 patients who had undergone thyroidectomy because of thyroid cancer 1 to 21 years previously and were treated with steady doses of exogenous thyroid hormone. Vertebral bone density (BMD Z-score) was significantly reduced and biochemical indices of bone resorption (urinary hydroxyproline and plasma tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase activity) and of osteoblastic activity (plasma osteocalcin and bone isoenzyme of serum alkaline phosphatase) as well as the calculated prevalence of bone resorption relative to osteoblastic activity (HBP) were significantly increased in thyroid hormone-treated post-menopausal women but not in men and premenopausal women. The HBP as well as the biochemical indices of bone remodeling were significantly negatively correlated with serum TSH levels.

[Dual-photon densitometry of the lumbar spine. Further experience and findings].

The authors submit further experience with two-photon absorption measurement of the mineral content of the lumbar spine using a NOVO/Lab BMC 22a (Denmark) apparatus. 1. The authors discuss the problem of evaluation of results in postmenopausal women.

Evidence that tartrate-resistant acid phosphatases from osteoclastomas and hairy cell leukemia spleen are members of a multigene family.

1. Osteoclasts and hairy cell leukemia spleen both contain large amounts of a band 5-tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TrACP). 2.

Quantitation of growth factors in ossein-mineral-compound.

Study was undertaken to identify polypeptide factors in the commercially available ossein-mineral-compound and to see if they are present in a biologically relevant quantity. Using the guanidine-EDTA extraction, 35.7 +/- 0.