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C de la Piedra

Publications and source records attributed to C de la Piedra.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Effects of 17beta-estradiol, tamoxifen and raloxifene on the protein and mRNA expression of interleukin-6, transforming growth factor-beta1 and insulin-like growth factor-1 in primary human osteoblast cultures.

We investigated the effects of 17betaestradiol and two selective estrogen receptor modulators, tamoxifen and raloxifene, on the expression and release of constitutive and interleukin-1-stimulated interleukin (IL)-6, transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) and insulin-like growth factor-1 by osteoblasts in primary culture from trabecular bone of healthy post-menopausal women. After 24 h incubation with 10(-8) M concentration of these compounds, there was no decrease in: a) the constitutive or IL-1beta-induced levels of IL-6 protein released to culture medium; b) the constitutive IL-6 mRNA expression after incubation of osteoblasts with 10(-8) M 17betaestradiol or 10(-8) M tamoxifen for 1, 3, 6, 24 or 30 h. Although a decrease after 30 h of treatment with 10(-8) M, raloxifene was found in mRNA IL-6 expression, and this fact was not reflected by a decrease in the release of IL-6 protein to the culture medium after 48 h of incubation with 10(-8) M or 10(-7) M raloxifene. Tumoral growth factorTGF-betal expression was not influenced by incubation with these compounds. Gene expression of IGF-I increased following 24 or 30 h incubation with 10(-8) M 17beta-estradiol and 30 h incubation with raloxifene. Tamoxifen did not affect IGF-I expression. In conclusion, the effects of estradiol or tamoxifen on bone metabolism do not appear to be mediated through the regulation of osteoblast IL-6 release or synthesis, but raloxifene produces a decrease in mRNA IL-6 expression. The actions of estradiol, tamoxifen and raloxifene do not appear to be mediated by tumoral growth factor TGF-beta1. On the other hand, an increase in IGF-I synthesis induced by raloxifene and estradiol could mediate, in part, the effects of these compounds on bone.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Short- and long-term effects of calcium and exercise on bone mineral density in ovariectomized rats.

At the level of prevention of bone mineral loss produced by ovariectomy, the aim of the present study was to determine the effect produced by supplementation of Ca in the diet and a moderate exercise programme (treadmill), simultaneously or separately, in ovariectomized rats, an experimental model of postmenopausal bone loss. Female Wistar rats (n 110, 15 weeks old) were divided into five groups: (1) OVX, rats ovariectomized at 15 weeks of age, fed a standard diet; (2) SHAM, rats sham operated at 15 weeks of age, fed a standard diet; (3) OVX-EX, ovariectomized rats, fed a standard diet and performing the established exercise programme; (4) OVX-Ca, ovariectomized rats fed a diet supplemented with Ca; (5) OVX-EXCa, ovariectomized rats with the exercise programme and diet supplemented with Ca. The different treatments were initiated 1 week after ovariectomy and were continued for 13 weeks for subgroup 1 and 28 weeks for subgroup 2, to look at the interaction of age and time passed from ovariectomy on the treatments. Bone mineral density (BMD) was determined, at the end of the study, in the lumbar spine (L2, L3 and L4) and in the left femur using a densitometer. Bone turnover was also estimated at the end of the study, measuring the serum formation marker total alkaline phosphatase (AP) and the resorption marker serum tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP). As expected, OVX rats showed a significant decrease (P<0.05) in BMD, more pronounced in subgroup 2, and a significant increase in AP and TRAP with regard to their respective SHAM group. The simultaneous treatment with Ca and exercise produced the best effects on lumbar and femoral BMD of ovariectomized rats, partially avoiding bone loss produced by ovariectomy, although it was not able to fully maintain BMD levels of intact animals. This combined treatment produced a significant increase in AP, both in subgroups 1 and 2, and a decrease in TRAP in subgroup 1, with regard to OVX group. The exercise treatment alone was able to produce an increase in BMD with regard to OVX group only in subgroup 1 of rats (younger animals and less time from ovariectomy), but not in subgroup 2. In agreement with this, there was an increase of AP in both subgroups, lower than that observed in animals submitted to exercise plus Ca supplement, and a decrease of TRAP in subgroup 1, without significant changes in this marker in the older rats. Ca treatment did not produce any significant effect on BMD in OVX rats in both subgroups of animals, showing a decrease of AP and TRAP levels in the younger animals with no significant variations in markers of bone remodelling in the older female rats compared with their respective OVX group.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1999

Urinary alpha and beta C-telopeptides of collagen I: clinical implications in bone remodeling in patients with anorexia nervosa.

Fragments derived from degradation of type I collagen C-telopeptide (CTX) can be nonisomerized (alpha) or beta-isomerized (beta) depending on the age of bone; i.e., mainly the alpha form is derived from new bone and the beta form from old bone. We have studied 41 female patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), aged 18.5 +/- 2.2 years (range 16-24 years), and with an evolution time between 1.5 and 11 years, and 31 healthy control females (C), with a mean age of 19 +/- 2.3 years (range 16-24 years). The AN patients showed a significant decrease in bone mass, with a mean Z-score of bone mineral density (BMD) of -3.2 +/- 0.8 (range -0.9 to -5.4). The aim of our study was to determine the levels of urinary alpha- and beta-CTX markers of bone resorption, the alpha/beta ratio (alpha/beta), and the level of bone alkaline phosphatase (bAP), a biochemical marker of bone formation, in order to relate them to the degree of osteopenia and the status of bone remodeling. Statistical analysis was by the Mann-Whitney test. The degree of osteopenia correlated with bAP levels (p = 0.0027) but not with the other parameters. Patients with AN were divided into three groups according to their levels of bAP: high (H), normal (N) or low (L). We found that BMD was significantly lower, and alpha- and beta-CTX were significantly higher, in groups H and N than in group L. Bone AP correlated significantly with alpha-CTX (p = 0.0042) and alpha/beta (0.0095) in the controls, but not with beta-CTX, while in AN patients bAP correlated with beta-CTX (p = 0.0000) and with alpha-CTX (p = 0.022) but not with the alpha/beta ratio. The ratio CTX/bAP (resorption/formation) was similar in AN patients and controls. It is concluded that: (1) patients with AN have a high degree of osteopenia which correlated with bAP levels; (2) urinary CTX fragments found in AN patients seem to come mainly from old bone (beta-CTX), while CTX found in healthy adolescent control females come from new bone (alpha-CTX). For this reason, alpha-CTX is more suitable than beta-CTX for measuring bone resorption in controls and beta-CTX is more suitable in patients with AN; (3) the resorption/formation ratio (CTX/bAP) was similar in AN patients and controls. From points (2) and (3) it is possible to suggest that, although bAP reflects bone formation in control females, this marker does not reflect effective bone mineralization in AN patients, a similar feature to that of patients with osteomalacia.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed1999

A variation in Bone Alkaline Phosphatase levels that correlates positively with bone loss and normal levels of aminoterminal propeptide of collagen I in girls with anorexia nervosa.

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a very extended pathology among adolescent girls nowadays. These patients show a high degree of osteopenia; hence, study of their bone remodelling is of great interest. Serum bone alkaline phosphatase (bAP) and aminoterminal propeptide of procollagen I (PINP) provide good sensitivity in the analysis of bone alterations in postmenopausal osteoporosis. The aim of this study was to compare the usefulness of bAP and PINP in the study of bone remodelling in AN, and their possible correlation with the degree of osteopenia in this pathology. In order to help in the interpretation of the results, levels of the beta-isomer of urinary carboxyterminal propeptide of collagen I (beta-CTX) have also been included. Serum bAP (IRMA) Tandem R-Ostase, Hybritech), PINP (RIA, Orion Diagnostica) and CTX (CrossLaps ELISA, Osteometer) were determined in 41 girls with AN, aged 18.5+/-2.2 years (mean+/-SD) and in 31 healthy control women, aged 19+/-2.3 years. Bone mineral density (BMD) in lumbar spine was measured by DEXA in the AN group. We found that 41 of the 43 patients had BMD z-scores under -2. No significant differences were found in the levels of serum bAP nor in PINP and beta-CTX levels between controls and patients, although values in the AN group were highly variable. All the BMD z-score values were negative, and their absolute value correlates positively with bAP (P = 0.0279) and almost with beta-CTX (P = 0.0921) but not with PINP (P = 0.4627). Bone AP correlates with PINP in control girls (P = 0.017), but not in the AN group (P = 0.3573). Patients with AN were divided into three groups according to their levels of bAP: low (I), normal (II) or high (III). Patients with the highest bAP levels also presented the highest increase in bone resorption, according to their beta-CTX levels, and the highest degree of osteopenia. However, values of PINP were similar in the three groups of patients. The bAP/beta-CTX ratios in subgroups I, II and III of AN patients were 0.035, 0.065 and 0.073, a finding that suggests that bAP is not indicating the real degree of bone mineralization in these patients, because it is a contradiction that the formation/resorption ratio should be higher in the patients who have the highest bone loss. These results could suggest that bone loss in AN is produced by an increase in bone resorption (beta-CTX), without variations in bone matrix formation (PINP); bAP levels are a good marker in the follow-up of osteopenia degree, but not a real indicator of bone mineralization, a similar situation to that of osteomalacia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Biochemical markers of bone remodeling and bone sialoprotein in ankylosing spondylitis.

The aim of this work was to determine bone mineral density (BMD) in a group of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and to study alterations in bone remodeling in these patients. Eighteen patients (16 males and two females) with AS, mean age 44.7, range 21-75, and 18 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were studied. BMD was evaluated by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. The following biochemical markers of bone remodeling were studied: formation - serum amino and carboxyterminal propeptides of procollagen I (PINP and PICP); resorption - urinary total and free deoxypyridinoline and pyridinoline (TDpyr, FDpyr, TPyr and FPyr), crosslinked aminoterminal telopeptides of collagen I (NTX), carboxyterminal telopeptide of collagen I (CTX) and serum bone sialoprotein (BSP). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of markers were also performed. We found a decrease of bone mass and an increase in TPyr, FPyr, TDpyr, FDpyr, NTX and BSP in AS, but no significant differences were found in PICP, PINP and CTX. FDpyr, FPyr and TPyr showed the highest discrimination between patients and controls according to the results of the ROC curves. TPyr/TDpyr was higher in AS than in controls. We found osteopenia, with a normal formation and a significant increase in bone resorption in AS. FDpyr, FPyr and TPyr seem to present the best sensitivity for the study of alterations of bone resorption in this pathology, although NTX, TDpyr and BSP also show significant differences. The elevation in the ratio TPyr/TDpyr in AS compared to controls indicates that in AS there is a type I-collagen degradation in tissues different from bone.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Biochemical markers of bone formation in the study of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

A comparative study was performed on the sensitivity of the determination of the available biochemical markers of bone formation--total and bone alkaline phosphatase (TAP and bAP, respectively), osteocalcin (BGP), procollagen I aminoterminal propeptide (PINP) and procollagen I carboxyterminal propeptide (PICP)--in the study of postmenopausal osteoporosis. The comparison between PINP and PICP, due to the recent development of the amino-terminal assay, is of special interest. The study included 26 untreated osteoporotic postmenopausal women, age 59 +/- 6 years (range 46-69 years) and 17 healty control postmenopausal women, age 56 +/- 7 years (range 48-70 years). We found a significant increase in the levels of bAP (p = 0.0021), BGP (p = 0.041), PINP (p = 0.0001) and PCIP (p = 0.0073), but not in the levels of TAP (p = 0.3389), in osteoporotic patients with respect to the control group. Serum PINP and bAP showed the highest diagnostic accuracy among the markers of bone formation studies, as can be deduced from the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves. In spite of their similar origin (amino-terminal and carboxy-terminal release from a procollagen molecule), the results obtained by measuring levels of PINP are significantly better than those found with PICP.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Effects of LY-117018 HCl on bone remodeling and mineral density in the oophorectomized rat.

OBJECTIVE: LY-117018 HCl is a recently developed, selective estrogen receptor modulator and an analog of raloxifene. Its mode of action on the skeleton is similar to that of estrogens, although it does not have the same side effects. The aim of the current study was to compare the effects produced by the administration of 17alpha-ethinyl estradiol (0.1 mg/kg/day) and LY-117018 HCl (1 mg/kg/day) on bone remodeling, bone mineral density, and body and uterus weight in sham-operated and oophorectomized rats (experimental model of postmenopausal osteoporosis). STUDY DESIGN: Twelve-week-old female Wistar rats were used. Treatment was given for 3 months after oophorectomy or sham operation. Bone mineral density was determined in the lumbar spine (L2, L3, and L4) and in the left femur with use of a Hologic QDR 1000 (S/N 277) densitometer. Bone remodeling was estimated with use of the formation markers osteocalcin (bone gla protein) and alkaline phosphatase and the resorption markers type I collagen carboxyterminal telopeptide and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The newly developed derivative of raloxifene, LY-117018 HCl, offsets the reduction in bone mineral density and the accompanying increase in bone remodeling markers observed in oophorectomized rats compared with control animals. 17Alpha-ethinyl estradiol also prevents the loss of bone mass attributed to oophorectomy, but this is accompanied by an increase in body mass and a greater increase in uterus weight than that observed after treatment with LY-117018 HCl.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1998

Immunoreactive osteocalcin forms in conditioned media from human osteoblast culture and in sera from healthy adult control subjects and patients with bone pathologies.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this work was to study the immunoreactive forms of bone Gla protein (BGP) present in conditioned media of human osteoblast cultures (BGP released from osteoblast) and in the sera of healthy adult control subjects and patients with bone pathologies (chronic renal failure on haemodialysis, Paget's disease of bone and post-menopausal osteoporosis). METHODS: The technical procedure used was a combination of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and different BGP assays with several specificities to analyse BGP levels in the different HPLC fractions. Aliquots of conditioned media or sera were purified through a Sephadex G-50m column and by HPLC (C4 reverse-phase column) in a 25-40% acetonitrile gradient. Two-minute fractions were collected and divided into three aliquots in order to determine osteocalcin content using three different assays: (a) ELSA-OST-NAT IRMA, which only detects intact osteocalcin; (b) ELSA-OSTEO IRMA, which detects intact osteocalcin and N-terminal fragments; and (c) OSCA Test RIA, which detects intact osteocalcin, C-terminal and other fragments. RESULTS: We found different immunoreactive forms of osteocalcin in the culture medium of human osteoblasts and in sera from control subjects and patients for the bone pathologies studied. We did not find great qualitative differences between the immunoreactive osteocalcin profile found in the culture medium from human osteoblasts and the sera from healthy control subjects. However, the different bone pathologies show different characteristic patterns of immunoreactive forms of osteocalcin. CONCLUSIONS: An interesting finding has been the detection, both in sera and in osteoblast culture media, of several immunoreactive forms of intact osteocalcin that eluted from HPLC at different acetonitrile percentages, and therefore correspond to different molecular forms.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

New biochemical markers of bone resorption in the study of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

We performed a comparative study on the sensitivity of the determination of several biochemical markers of bone resorption: urinary calcium/creatinine, free pyridinolines (F-Pyr), free deoxypyridinoline (F-Dpyr), carboxyterminal telopeptide of collagen I (CTX) and aminoterminal crosslinked telopeptides of collagen I (NTX) in the study of postmenopausal osteoporosis. The study included 19 untreated osteoporotic postmenopausal women, aged 59 +/- 6 years, range 46-70 and 16 healthy control postmenopausal women, aged 56 +/- 7 years, range 48-70 years. The following bone markers were determined in 2-h fasting urine samples: calcium/creatinine (atomic absorptiometry), F-Pyr (ELISA, Metra), F-Dpyr (ELISA, Metra), CTX (Crosslaps, Cis bio International) and NTX (ELISA, Osteomark, OSTEX). Values of all markers were expressed as urinary creatinine (Cr) ratios. We found a significant increase in all the studied biochemical markers of bone resorption in osteoporotic patients with respect to control women. Areas under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves corresponding to F-Pyr/Cr, Calcium/ Cr, NTX/Cr, CTX/Cr and F-Dpyr/Cr were 74%, 75%, 93.4%, 95.7% and 96% respectively. There were no significant differences among the areas of the ROC curves corresponding to NTX, CTX and F-Dpyr, but areas under urinary calcium and F-Pyr were significantly lower. Among the biochemical markers of bone resorption studied, F-Dpyr, CTX and NTX presented the best discrimination between osteoporotic and control women. F-Dpyr/Cr sensitivity was 79% with a specificity of 100%, CTX/Cr sensitivity was also 79% with a specificity of 100% and NTX/Cr sensitivity was 52% with a specificity of 100%.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

New biochemical markers of bone resorption derived from collagen breakdown in the study of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

The aim of this work was to perform a comparative study between three recently developed biochemical markers of bone resorption derived from collagen metabolism--(1) total urinary free pyridinolines (Pyr), (2) serum pyridinoline cross-linked carboxy-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen (ICTP) and (3) a urinary-specific sequence for a part of the C-telopeptide of the alpha 1 chain of type I collagen (CTX)--in the diagnosis and follow-up of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Results were also evaluated relative to the classical biochemical marker urinary hydroxyproline (Hyp). The study included 20 untreated osteoporotic postmenopausal women (OSP), age 60 +/- 6 years, range 46-69 years; 27 osteoporotic postmenopausal women treated (OSP-T) by cyclic therapy with disodium etidronate, 25-hydroxyvitamin D and calcium for a period between 3 months and 4 years (25 +/- 15 months), age 59 +/- 7 years, range 41-67 years; 17 osteopenic postmenopausal women, age 57 +/- 6 years, range 46 +/- 68 years; and 29 healthy control postmenopausal women, age 56 +/- 7 years, range 41-70 years. The diagnostic criterion for postmenopausal osteoporosis was a bone mineral density (BMD) (Hologic QDR-1000) in lumbar spine and/or femoral neck more than 2 SD below the mean value corresponding to an age- and sex-matched healthy control group. For inclusion in the osteopenic group BMD values had to be between 1 and 2 SD below the mean BMD value corresponding to the control group. We found a significant increase (p < 0.01) in the levels of Pyr/Cr and CTX/Cr (Cr = creatinine) in OSP patients with respect to the control group and we did not observe any significant difference between control and OSP-T or osteopenic women. It is interesting to note that there was a mean increase in CTX/Cr in OSP patients of 101% of the control values, while the mean increase found in Pyr/Cr concentration was only 33%. However, we did not find significant differences in the concentrations of ICTP and Hyp/Cr between groups. In a comparison of Pyr/Cr and CTX/Cr, urinary CTX showed the higher diagnostic accuracy, as can be deduced from the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. CTX sensitivity was 40% with a specificity of 100%, whereas the sensitivity was 25% for urinary Pyr/Cr. In conclusion, the results of the present work suggest that in osteoporotic women CTX has the highest diagnostic accuracy among the markers of bone resporption studied.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Variable efficacy of bone remodeling biochemical markers in the management of patients with Paget's disease of bone treated with tiludronate.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the response of different biochemical bone markers to tiludronate administration in Paget's disease of bone. Ten patients (five men and five women), 56-77 years old (67 +/- 6.5), were treated for 3 months with tiludronate tablets (400 mg/day). Bone formation markers: alkaline phosphatase (AP), bone alkaline phosphatase (bAP), osteocalcin (BGP), and procollagen I carboxyterminal propeptide (PICP) in serum; and bone resorption markers: serum cross-linked carboxyterminal telopeptides of type I collagen (ICTP), urinary hydroxyproline/creatinine (Hyp/Cr), pyridinoline/Cr (Pyr/Cr), and alpha-1 collagen chain products degradation (CrossLaps) were assessed. Samples were taken before and at monthly intervals for 3 months after treatment began. The results of the present work show that serum AP and bAP are sensitive and reliable biochemical markers of bone formation in the follow-up of tiludronate in this disease. Serum PICP shows less sensitivity than serum AP, and serum BGP is not indicated as biochemical marker in these types of studies. Urinary hydroxyproline seems to be the most reliable biochemical marker of bone resorption. More studies should be performed with urinary Pyr and CrossLaps determinations. Serum ICTP is not adequate for the follow-up of tiludronate treatment in Paget's disease of bone.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1995

Lack of correlation between levels of osteocalcin and bone alkaline phosphatase in healthy control and postmenopausal osteoporotic women.

The determination of bone alkaline phosphatase (bAP) by IRMA and the measure of intact osteocalcin (BGP) and/or different fragments by IRMA and/or RIA are new commercially available methods for the evaluation of osteoblast activity. The aim of this work was to study the possible correlation among serum bAP and levels of BGP measured by two different methods: an IRMA which only detects intact-BGP and a RIA which detects intact-BGP and carboxyterminal fragments (C-terminal BGP) in healthy post-menopausal control women and in a group of patients with post-menopausal osteoporosis. Serum samples from 42 consecutive osteoporotic postmenopausal women, aged 62 +/- 11 years, between 39-76, and 14 control women age matched, were drawn after an overnight fasting. Levels of total alkaline phosphatase (AP), bAP, intact BGP, and intact BGP and carboxy terminal fragments were measured. In both groups we found a significant linear correlation between the levels of AP and bAP (r = 0.79, p < 0.001) and intact-BGP and C-terminal BGP (r = 0.97, p < 0.001), but surprisingly we did not find a significant linear correlation between AP or bAP levels and BGP measured in any of the two methods. These results suggest that AP release from osteoblast vesicles and BGP synthesis in these cells are not necessarily simultaneous, reflecting different stages of osteoblast activity.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Possible alterations of the in vivo 1,25(OH)2D3 synthesis and its tissue distribution in magnesium-deficient rats.

In a previous work we showed that a decrease in the free intracellular magnesium produced alterations in the kinetic behaviour of 1 alpha-hydroxylase which reduced the synthesis rate of 1,25(OH)2D3. This in vitro result strongly supports that magnesium deficiency could also induce in vivo failure of the renal enzyme and then a decrease of 1,25(OH)2D3 serum levels. In the present work we have tested the effect of magnesium deficiency on the in vivo transformation of the substrate 3H-25(OH)D3 to 3H-1,25(OH)2D3 as well as the distribution of synthesized hormone among its different target tissues. We found that magnesium deficiency produced a decrease of both the in vivo synthesis of 3H-1,25(OH)2D3 and the binding of the radioactive hormone to bone tissue. These results may explain the different criteria present in the scientific literature concerning the relationships between magnesium status and vitamin D metabolism.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Clinical usefulness of serum carboxyterminal propeptide of procollagen I and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase determinations to evaluate bone turnover in patients with chronic renal failure.

We have studied the levels of the biochemical markers of bone formation total serum alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin (BGP) and carboxyterminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP), the levels of the biochemical marker of bone resorption serum tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) and those of intact immunoreactive PTH (iPTH) in 30 patients at different stages of chronic renal failure (CRF), all of them without verifiable hepatopathy, and in 9 patients in hemodialysis with hepatopathy measured by the Knodell index. Sixteen control subjects were also studied. In the group of patients with CRF with or without hepatopathy, the levels of biochemical markers of bone turnover were significantly elevated with respect to those of control patients. We did not find any significant difference in the levels of these parameters between the groups with and without liver damage, in spite of the fact that TRAP and PICP are cleared mainly by the liver. Levels of TRAP and PICP correlated significantly with the other biochemical markers of bone turnover studied. The good relation observed between PICP, TRAP and the biochemical indexes of bone activity and iPTH levels suggests the clinical value of these markers in the follow-up of bone involvement in patients with CRF. On the other hand, the frequent hepatopathy found in patients with CRF does not seem to affect to a significant extent the diagnostic value of PICP and TRAP in this pathology.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1994

[Differences in the cellular response of the immune system in patients with Paget's disease of bone after elcatonin and etidronate administration].

A cellular immunological defect is present in patients with Paget's disease of the bone. Low counts of CD4, high counts of CD8, and a low CD4/CD8 ratio were observed in 58 patients compared with controls. These findings were not correlated with the metabolic activity of the disease. After therapy with Elcatonine an improvement in the cellular immunological defect was observed in 15 patients. Etidronate improved the biochemical bone patterns but no changes were observed in the number of lymphocytic subpopulations. These changes can be related to the improvement in the bone metabolic disorder or be the result of an effect on the altered immunity in this disease.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Six osteocalcin assays compared.

We evaluated comparatively six commercially available osteocalcin kits: ELSA-OST-NAT IRMA (CIS), ELSA-Osteo IRMA (CIS), Osteocalcin IRMA (Nichols), OSTK-PR RIA (CIS), OSCA Test Osteocalcin RIA (Henning), and Osteocalcin RIA (Nichols). All of them presented acceptable values of variance, sensitivity, and serial dilutions. However, only the ELSA-OST-NAT, ELSA-Osteo, and OSCA Test kits had analytical recoveries near 100% for added purified human osteocalcin; the other assays showed important differences in standardization. After treating samples with antibody against amino acids 43-49 of human osteocalcin, only the ELSA-OST-NAT IRMA detected no residual osteocalcin. Stability of serum values at room temperature and at 4 degrees C is good in the ELSA-Osteo and Osteocalcin IRMAs and in the Henning RIA if serum samples are collected in special tubes available with the kit. Differences in stability and after antibody treatment can be due to the degradation of intact osteocalcin molecules in serum and to osteocalcin fragments detected by assays. Results by different assays were well correlated for samples from controls and postmenopausal osteoporotic women but not for patients with impaired renal function or Paget disease of bone, probably because of osteocalcin fragments accumulated in serum of these patients and differences in specificity of the assays.

Antibody Specificity↗