Biomedical subjects

M Revilla

Publications and source records attributed to M Revilla.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

The Early Systemic Prophylaxis of Infection After Stroke study: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Early infection after stroke is frequent but the clinical value of antibiotic prophylaxis in acute stroke has never been explored. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: The Early Systemic Prophylaxis of Infection After Stroke (ESPIAS) is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of antibiotic prophylaxis in patients older than 18 years with nonseptic ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke enrolled within 24 hours from clinical onset. Interventions included intravenous levofloxacin (500 mg/100 mL/d, for 3 days) or placebo (0.9% physiological serum) in addition to optimal care. A sample size of 240 patients was calculated to identify a 15% absolute risk reduction of the primary outcome measure, which was the incidence of infection at day 7 after stroke. Secondary outcome measures were neurological outcome and mortality at day 90. RESULTS: Based on a preplanned futility analysis, the study was interrupted prematurely when 136 patients had been included. Levofloxacin and placebo patients had a cumulative rate of infection of 6% and 6% (P=0.96) at day 1; 10% and 12% (P=0.83) at day 2; 12% and 15% (P=0.66) at day 3; 16% and 19% (P=0.82) at day 7; and 30% and 33% (P=0.70), at day 90. Using logistic regression, favorable outcome at day 90 was inversely associated with baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.59 to 0.89; P=0.002) and allocation to levofloxacin (OR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.04 to 0.87; P=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic administration of levofloxacin (500 mg/100 mL/day for 3 days) is not better than optimal care for the prevention of infections in patients with acute stroke.

Aged↗

PubMed2004

The -174G/C polymorphism of the interleukin 6 gene is a hallmark of lacunar stroke and not other ischemic stroke phenotypes.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The CC genotype of the -174 G/C interleukin (IL)-6 polymorphism has been associated with lacunar stroke. However, it remains unsettled whether this polymorphism is also associated with other ischemic stroke phenotypes. METHODS: The -174 G/C IL-6 polymorphism was genotyped in patients with lacunar stroke (n = 89), stroke due to large vessel disease (n = 82), cardioembolism (n = 53), stroke of undetermined cause (n = 49) and in white controls without any history of stroke (n = 105) by PCR and restriction enzyme analysis. Independent predictors of the -174 G/C IL-6 genotypes were assessed using multivariate logistic regression models adjusted for demographics, risk factors and disease state. RESULTS: The prevalence of the CC genotype was 8.5% in large vessel disease, 7.5% in embolism, 19.1% in lacunar stroke, 14.3% in stroke of undetermined cause and 8.6% in controls. The CC genotype was independently associated with lacunar stroke only (adjusted OR 3.22, 95% CI 9.09-1.12). Contrarily, there were no significant differences in genotype and allele distribution in the remainder of ischemic stroke phenotypes. Pooling of patients with nonlacunar stroke did not show any independent association with the CC genotype as compared with controls (OR 1.01, 95% CI 2.77-0.36). CONCLUSIONS: The unique association between the CC genotype of the -174 G/C IL-6 polymorphism and lacunar stroke suggests a particular susceptibility of small deep penetrators of cerebral arteries to IL-6-mediated inflammatory damage.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

Nonconvulsive status epilepticus associated with cephalosporins in patients with renal failure.

PURPOSE: Nonconvulsive status epilepticus is an unusual complication of cephalosporin therapy, with only a few isolated cases reported. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We reviewed the clinical and electroencephalographic (EEG) characteristics of 10 patients with renal failure in whom developed alteration of consciousness without convulsions associated with continuous epileptiform EEG activity while being treated with cephalosporins. RESULTS: Nonconvulsive status epilepticus developed in 5 men and 5 women, with a mean (+/- SD) age of 69 +/- 14 years, while receiving intravenous cephalosporins (ceftriaxone, 2 patients; ceftazidime, 2; and cefepime, 6). All patients had renal failure; 1 also had hepatic failure. Patients presented with progressive disorientation or agitation, sometimes associated with mild facial or limb myoclonus, that had begun 1 to 10 days (mean, 5 +/- 2 days) after starting cephalosporin treatment. The EEG showed continuous or intermittent bursts of generalized, high-voltage, 1 to 2 Hz sharp wave activity or sharp and slow wave activity that resembled, but could be differentiated from, the triphasic waves seen in metabolic encephalopathies. Intravenous clonazepam suppressed the epileptiform activity completely in 5 patients and partially in the other 5. Cephalosporins were withdrawn, and antiepileptic therapy was started for all patients. All patients improved, 2 in less than 24 hours and the remainder within 2 to 7 days. CONCLUSIONS: Cephalosporins can cause nonconvulsive status epilepticus in patients with renal failure. The clinical picture is difficult to differentiate from a that of metabolic encephalopathy unless an EEG is obtained. Physicians should be aware of this potentially dangerous complication.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Examination of motor output pathways in patients with corticobasal ganglionic degeneration using transcranial magnetic stimulation.

The alien hand sign (AHS) is often encountered in patients with corticobasal ganglionic degeneration (CBGD), revealing a unilateral dysfunction of the motor system of unknown pathophysiology. We examined the possibility of an abnormal cortical representation of hand muscles in 10 patients with probable CBGD and a prominent AHS. Cortical maps were obtained from the responses to magnetic stimuli applied with a figure of eight coil at an intensity of 110% above motor threshold. For comparison, the same study was carried out in 10 normal volunteers, eight patients with Parkinson's disease and eight patients with Alzheimer's disease. AHS patients had a larger extension of the cortical map to stimulation of the hemisphere contralateral to the AHS in comparison with the ipsilateral hemisphere. Furthermore, in six patients, focal stimulation of the hemisphere ipsilateral to the AHS gave rise to ipsilateral responses, delayed by a mean of 7.7 +/- 2.2 ms with respect to those recorded in the same muscle to contralateral stimulation. None of the other patients or control subjects had ipsilateral responses. Our results indicate an enhanced excitability, or reduced inhibition, of the motor area of the hemisphere contralateral to the AHS. The delay of the ipsilateral responses is compatible with a disinhibited transcallosal input.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

alpha(1)-antichymotrypsin polymorphism: a risk factor for hemorrhagic stroke in normotensive subjects.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Although genetic factors may be important in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke (IS), little is known on the potential role of genes in most cases of hemorrhagic stroke (HS). Preliminary data showed that the TT genotype of the alpha(1)-antichymotrypsin (ACT) gene polymorphism was associated with HS, although it remained unsettled whether prevalence of this polymorphism might differ between hypertensive and normotensive HS. METHODS: Ninety-nine patients with HS, 182 patients with IS (symptomatic control subjects), and 80 asymptomatic control subjects were genotyped for the ACT polymorphism using polymerase chain reaction amplification. Chronic hypertension was recorded in 66 patients with HS. RESULTS: The ACT-TT genotype was more prevalent in patients than in asymptomatic or symptomatic control subjects: 26%, 15%, and 16%, respectively. The ACT-TT genotype was obtained in 33% of HS who lacked arterial hypertension (P<0.05). After adjustment for age, gender, and vascular risk factors, the ACT-TT genotype remained independently associated with HS (OR 2.80, 95% CI 1.19 to 6.58, compared with asymptomatic control subjects; OR 1.79, 95% CI 0.95 to 3.40, compared with symptomatic control subjects). In analyses restricted to HS in normotensive patients, the ORs were 3.10 (95% CI 1.10 to 8.68) and 2.53 (95% CI 1.04 to 6.18), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirm in a larger series of patients the association between the ACT-TT genotype and HS. This polymorphism is more prevalent in normotensive bleedings. Pathological studies will be required to establish whether the ACT-TT genotype facilitates proteolytic rupture of vessels that harbor amyloidotic changes or another form of nonhypertensive cerebral angiopathy.

Aged↗

PubMed2000

Comparison of the acute-phase response in patients with ischemic stroke treated with high-dose heparin or aspirin.

Experimental studies have suggested that unfractionated heparin (UH) has antiinflammatory properties. It is unknown whether UH also has these properties in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Within 12-24 h of treatment onset we measured the acute-phase response as reflected by the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and total number of leukocytes (x10(9)/l) in 706 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with full-dose UH (n=450), or 300 mg/day aspirin (n=256). Clinical outcome (Mathew scale) at hospital discharge and the effect of factors such as treatment (UH and aspirin), and acute phase response were assessed using multivariate analyses adjusted for baseline confounders and incident complications. Separate models were created for patients with lacunar and nonlacunar stroke. Whereas there were not differences at baseline between the two treatment groups, total leukocyte counts (8. 0+/-4.1 vs. 8.6+/-3.2, P<0.01) and ESR (21.7+/-20.9 vs. 25.2+/-22.9, P<0.05) were statistically significantly lower in patients treated with UH. This effect of UH was more accentuated in patients with nonlacunar stroke. Overall, leukocytes (7.2+/-2.3 vs. 8.4+/-4.0, P<0. 01), and ESR (15.7+/-17.2 vs. 24.3+/-22.2, P=0.0001) were lower in patients with complete early recovery and this effect was restricted to patients with nonlacunar stroke. Whereas baseline impairment, symptomatic bleeding and stroke recurrence were independent negative outcome predictors, the use of UH was positively associated with early recovery in all patients. This study shows that full-dose UH reduces the acute-phase reaction that follows ischemic stroke more effectively than aspirin. The prognostic implications of such effect seem more notable in patients with nonlacunar stroke.

Acute-Phase Reaction↗

PubMed2000

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy following oral fludarabine treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a subacute demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system usually affecting immunocompromised individuals and is due to infection of the oligodendrocytes by the JC virus. A case of PML in a chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patient treated with fludarabine is reported, representing the second such instance in which the diagnosis of the neurological disorder was established by brain biopsy. A 61-year-old man with a 14-year history of B-cell type CLL, for which he had received chlorambucil therapy 10 years earlier, developed progressive paresis of both left extremities at 7 months of receiving low doses of oral fludarabine, when his CD4 count has decreased to 0.08 x 10(9)/l. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging revealed a subcortical focal lesion at the right precentral gyrus and a focal lesion at the right thalamus, and a stereotactic brain biopsy showed pathological findings consistent with PML, namely severe myelin breakdown, reactive astrocytosis, and abnormal, huge glial cells with large bizarre nuclei showing granular basophilic inclusions, whereas the presence of the JC virus was demonstrated by in situ hybridization. The present case, in addition to a few previously reported, calls attention to the possibility that severe neurological side effects can be associated with the immunosuppression provoked by the use of fludarabine in CLL patients.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed2000

Calcitonin versus clodronate in the prevention of ovariectomy-induced osteopenia in rats.

The effects of salmon calcitonin and clodronate were compared in ovariectomised rats. Sixty female Wistar rats ( 260 g in weight) were fed the same diet and had the same living conditions. The rats were divided into the following groups: 15 rats with sham ovariectomy and no drug treatment (Sham-OVX); 45 rats with bilateral ovariectomy subdivided into 15 rats not receiving drug treatment (OVX group), 15 rats treated with subcutaneous salmon calcitonin, 2 U/kg/day every 2 days (OVX + CT group) and 15 rats treated with subcutaneous clodronate, 5 mg/kg/day every 2 days (OVX + Cl group). Sixty days after surgery, the rats were sacrificed and their femurs and fifth lumbar vertebrae were dissected and cleaned of soft tissue. Femur length, vertebral height, and bone mineral content and bone mineral density of the femur and fifth lumbar vertebra by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry were measured. Calcitonin had a significant and stronger effect in preventing ovariectomy-induced osteopenia in the femur (OVX + CT vs OVX groups, p < 0.0001); both calcitonin and clodronate had a significant effect on the fifth lumbar vertebra, which was greater in the calcitonin group (OVX + CT vs OVX + Cl groups, p<0.005). These findings indicate that calcitonin has a protective effect on both the axial (trabecular bone) and peripheral (cortical bone) skeletons, but clodronate only has a protective effect on the axial skeleton.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed2000

Effects on bone loss of manganese alone or with copper supplement in ovariectomized rats. A morphometric and densitomeric study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of manganese (Mn) alone and with the addition of copper (Cu) in the inhibition of osteopenia induced by ovariectomy (OVX) in rats. STUDY CONDITIONS: Four lots of 100-day-old female Wistar rats were divided into experimental groups of 15 each. One group received a diet supplemented with 40 mg/kg of Mn per kilogram of feed (OVX+Mn). The second group received the same diet as the first, but with an additional 15 mg/kg of copper (OVX+Mn+Cu). The third group of 15 OVX and the fourth group of 15 Sham-OVX received no supplements. At the conclusion of the 30-day experiment, the rats were slaughtered and their femurs and fifth lumbar vertebrae were dissected. Femoral and vertebral length were measured with caliper and bones were weighed on a precision balance. The bone mineral content (BMC) and bone density (BMD) of the femur (F-BMC, mg and F-BMD, mg/cm(2)) and the fifth lumbar vertebra (V-BMC, mg and V-BMD, mg/cm(2)) were measured separately with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS: The F-BMD, mg/cm(2) was lower in the OVX than in the Sham-OVX group (P<0.0001) and in the other two groups receiving mineral supplements (P<0.005 in both). F-BMC, mg was significantly lower in the OVX group than in the other three (P<0.0001 in all cases). Calculations for V-BMC, mg and V-BMD, mg/cm(2) are similar to findings in the femur. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that a Mn supplement is an effective inhibitor of loss of bone mass after OVX, both on the axial and the peripheral levels, although this effect is not enhanced with the addition of Cu.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Gynecological factors and body mass index as determinants of bone mass in normal postmenopausal women. A study with peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT).

OBJECTIVE: This paper studied the influence of several gynecological factors (years since menopause (YSM), age at menarche and gynecological age or reproductive life) simultaneously with anthropometric factors as determinants of bone mass in 189 healthy postmenopausal women. METHODS: Bone mass was determined by peripheral quantitative computed tomography. RESULTS: An overall evaluation showed that YSM correlated negatively with trabecular and cortical bone density (BMDTrab and BMDCorti) (P<0.05 in both cases). Age at menarche correlated negatively with BMDCorti (P<0.05) and gynecological age correlated positively with BMDTrab (P<0.05). Classifying the women according to their body mass index (BMI), the YSM correlation persisted in those subjects whose BMI was >25 kg/m(2), and in age at menarche and gynecological age of women whose BMI was <25 kg/m(2) (P<0.05). After separating women according to their age at menarche, their gynecological age and BMI, the only significant difference that persisted was in BMDTrab which was lower in the group with gynecological age <33 years, with a BMI <25 kg/m(2) (P=0.020). Parity and smoking had no impact on our results. By multiple regression, with BMD as the dependent variable and the gynecological factors as independent variables, we only observed significance between YSM and BMDCorti (P<0.005). The same was observed after separating women according to their BMI in the >25 kg/m(2) group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our data stress the importance of YSM on BMDTrab and BMDCorti, of age at menarche on BMDCorti and of gynecological age on BMDTrab. However, YSM is the gynecological factor that mainly determines BMD. The differences observed between measurements taken with pQCT and other methods commonly used to estimate bone mass indicate that results obtained with one technique cannot be extrapolated to other methods.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2000

Circadian changes of heart rate in West syndrome.

Patterns of circadian and ultradian rhythms in the heart rate (HR) are described in a full-term baby with birth asphyxia and convulsions. A 24h HR recording was carried out at the age of 1, 15, 56, 289, and 295 days; West syndrome diagnosis was made when the patient was 3 months old. The HR showed no circadian rhythm in the follow-up, whereas it is known that the circadian rhythm appears in healthy infants at the age of 1 month and remains thereafter. This observation may be an indirect indicator of the interference of West syndrome with centers of neurological maturity.

Activity Cycles↗

PubMed2000

Alpha(1)-antichymotrypsin gene polymorphism in patients with stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A role for proteolytic enzymes has been suggested in the pathogenesis of stroke. In a search for new genetic factors, we investigated the gene polymorphism of the serine protease inhibitor alpha(1)-antichymotrypsin (ACT) in patients with stroke. METHODS: Two hundred twenty patients with acute ischemic stroke (n=182) and primary intracerebral hemorrhage (n=38) and 70 control subjects without clinical cerebrovascular disease were genotyped for the ACT polymorphism. RESULTS: The ACT-TT genotype was more frequent in patients with primary intracerebral hemorrhage than in patients with ischemic stroke (31.6% versus 16.4%, P:<0.05) or in control subjects (21.4%, P:=0.1). After adjusting for age, gender, and vascular risk factors, the ACT-TT genotype was associated with primary intracerebral hemorrhage, with an OR of 2.3 (95% CI 1.0 to 5. 2) compared with ischemic stroke and an OR of 1.8 (95% CI 0.85 to 9. 65) compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: Pending confirmation in a larger study, our results suggest that the ACT-TT genotype might be a risk factor for primary cerebral hemorrhage.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1999

Ex vivo response to aspirin differs in stroke patients with single or recurrent events: a pilot study.

The dose of aspirin for secondary stroke prevention and the clinical meaning of ex vivo platelet abnormalities are debated. We assessed prospectively 39 noncardioembolic stroke patients in which 300 mg/day aspirin had proved effective (n=24) or ineffective (n=15) to prevent recurrent ischemic events. We evaluated platelet aggregation induced by arachidonic acid, adenosine diphosphate and epinephrine, and the sensitivity of platelets to increasing concentrations of the synthetic thromboxane mimetic U46619. Aggregation studies were repeated while subjects received 300 (study phase 1), and 600 (study phase 2) mg/day aspirin, respectively. Overall, arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation was less effectively inhibited during study phase 1 compared to phase 2. Arachidonic acid and epinephrine promoted a stronger platelet aggregation in aspirin nonresponders than in aspirin responders while taking 300 mg/day aspirin. On the other hand, 600 mg/day effectively inhibited platelet function in both clinical groups. A lower sensitivity to thromboxane receptors was also found during phase 1 of the study, although the response was similar between aspirin responders and nonresponders. This pilot study suggests that 300 mg/day aspirin is less effective than 600 mg/day to block the cyclooxygenase pathway in noncardioembolic stroke and, incomplete cyclooxygenase inhibition is associated with recurrent thromboembolic events despite adequate aspirin compliance. It is likely that patients could receive a more efficacious stroke prevention if the dose of aspirin is tailored to individual needs as reflected by laboratory findings.

15-Hydroxy-11 alpha,9 alpha-(epoxymethano)prosta-5↗

PubMed1999

Transient dissociation of bone metabolism induced by high performance exercise: a study in elite marathon runners.

Bone metabolism parameters were studied in 18 elite marathon runners (11 men and 7 women) who participated in the Marathon World Cup held at San Sebastian, Spain in 1993. Measurements were made before the race, immediately after the race, and 24 hours after the race. The most interesting finding was increased alkaline phosphatase (P < 0. 0001) and decreased tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (P = 0.0035), which suggests that exercise produced uncoupling of the bone cell metabolism. Serum calcium corrected for proteins did not increase with exercise and at the end of the race there was a negative correlation between cortisol, which was significantly higher (P < 0. 0001), and corrected serum calcium (r = 0.53, P = 0.026) that was not present at baseline. Running time showed a significant negative correlation with baseline serum cortisol (r = -0.67, P = 0.0015) and a significant positive correlation with body mass index (r = 0.53, P = 0.0207). The increase in alkaline phosphatase persisted 24 hours after the race, which suggests that exercise produced an intense and sustained effect on osteogenic capacity.

Acid Phosphatase↗

PubMed1999

Effects of alprazolam supplementation on vertebral and femoral bone mass in rats on strenuous treadmill training exercise.

The ability of alprazolam to diminish cortisol response and favor ovarian function could make it useful in the prevention of osteopenia in athletes in selected cases. A sample of 45 female Wistar rats, all 93 days old and with a mean initial weight of 267 +/- 17 g, were studied. Rats were exposed to a high-performance level of exercise and were divided into two groups-one group received an alprazolam supplement and one did not-and compared with controls to determine the effect of alprazolam on bone mass as measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DKA). Exercise consisted of treadmill running on 5 out of 7 days during a period of 11 weeks. A steep grade treadmill inclination was used to stimulate high-intensity muscle activity. Final inclination was 17.5 degrees and treadmill speed was 45 cm/second. Upon completion of the experiment, all the rats were killed and the femur and 5th lumbar vertebra were dissected and cleaned. Length, weight, bone mineral content (BMC), and density (BMD) of the whole right femur and 5th lumbar vertebra were measured. In the exercise only group (no alprazolam), the length, weight, BMC, BMD, and femur BMC/final rat weight ratio of the femur, and the vertebral weight, vertebral BMD and BMC, and vertebral BMC/final rat weight ratio were lower than in the control and the exercise-alprazolam groups (P < 0.0167 - < 0.0001). Alprazolam preserves bone mass in rats exposed to intense exercise.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed1999

Effects of promethazine on bone mass and on bone remodeling in ovariectomized rats: A morphometric, densitometric, and histomorphometric experimental study.

The effect of promethazine on bone is debated. We studied the effect of promethazine on bone and the mechanism of action involved by densitometric and histomorphometric measurements in female Wistar rats (100 days old, mean weight 25 +/- 20 g). A control group of 15 rats was not manipulated. An experimental group of 15 rats were ovariectomized (OVX) at 100 days of life and fed a diet supplemented with 4.8 mg/kg promethazine hydrochloride (OVX + Prom). The group that underwent OVX and a group of 15 rats that underwent sham ovariectomy (Sham-OVX) were not treated with promethazine. After 30 days, all the rats were killed. Their femur and 5th lumbar vertebra were dissected and cleaned of soft tissue. Femoral length and vertebral height were measured with a caliper and bones were weighed on a precision balance. The bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) of the whole right femurs and 5th lumbar vertebras were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Trabecular bone volume (Cn-BV-TV%), trabecular number (Tb-N mm(-1)), trabecular thickness (Tb-Th microm), and trabecular separation (Tb-Sp microm) were measured in the femurs by histomorphometric study of nondecalcified bone. Our results showed that promethazine significantly inhibited postovariectomy loss of bone mass (P < 0. 0001) by significantly reducing bone resorption, as shown by the smaller trabecular spaces observed in the treated OVX rats (P < 0. 0001).

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Effect of induced uterine retroversion on bone mass in rats.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of surgical uterine retroversion on bone mass in rats. STUDY DESIGN: Forty-five female Wistar rats were assigned randomly to three groups: 15 unmanipulated rats, 15 rats that underwent uterine retroversion, and 15 rats that underwent sham uterine retroversion (exposure of the uterus to air followed by closure of the abdominal cavity). Sixty days later the rats were killed and their femurs were dissected. Femurs were weighed and measured, and femoral bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) were determined by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS: In the group of rats that underwent uterine retroversion, BMC, BMD, and BMC corrected for final body weight were significantly lower (P<0.001) than in the unmanipulated control and sham uterine retroversion groups. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that uterine retroversion induced a loss of bone mass. We could not determine the mechanism of bone loss; in our opinion, these problem merits further investigations, which currently occupy our interest.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed1998

Changes in body composition in women treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists.

OBJECTIVE: The changes that agonists of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) produce in mineral bone mass are known, but, as far as we know, those produced by these agents in other body compartments are unknown. METHODS: We studied these changes using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in 50 eugonadal women treated with decapeptyl (Triptoreline), 3.75 mg injected intramuscularly, at 28-day intervals for 6 months. RESULTS: There were significant increases in fat content (9.5%, P < 0.0005) and weight (1.3%, P < 0.01), and significant decreases in fat-free mass (-1.9%, P < 0.0001) and water content (-1.8%, P < 0.0002). Bone mass was lost in the axial skeleton (-3.6%, P < 0.0001) but not in the peripheral skeleton. CONCLUSIONS: The changes induced in body composition by the GnRH agonists are similar to those of natural menopause.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗