Risk of osteopaenia, osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures in patients with chronic pancreatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Chronic pancreatitis

Chronic pancreatitis is a progressive fibroinflammatory disease primarily caused by a complex interplay of environmental and genetic risk factors. It might result in pancreatic exocrine and endocrine insufficiency, chronic pain, reduced quality of life, and increased mortality. The diagnosis is based on the presence of typical symptoms and multiple morphological manifestations of the pancreas, including pancreatic duct stones and strictures, parenchymal calcifications, and pseudocysts. Management of chronic pancreatitis consists of prevention and treatment of complications, requiring a multidisciplinary approach focusing on lifestyle modifications, exocrine insufficiency, nutritional status, bone health, endocrine insufficiency, pain management, and psychological care. To optimise clinical outcomes, screening for complications and evaluation of treatment efficacy are indicated in all patients with chronic pancreatitis.

Predictive Value of Preoperative Nutritional Risk Index for Screw Loosening After Lumbar Interbody Fusion in Elderly Patients With Lumbar Spine Diseases

OBJECTIVE

Pedicle screw loosening is one of the common complications in elderly patients undergoing transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) for lumbar spine disease. Malnutrition, prevalent among elderly patients, has been shown to be associated with increased complications. The Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) serves as a simple indicator of nutritional status. However, the relationship between malnutrition, particularly GNRI, and pedicle screw loosening has not been adequately investigated. This study aims to investigate the relationship between GNRI and pedicle screw loosening following TLIF to guide the perioperative nutritional management of patients and prevent postoperative complications.

METHODS

A retrospective review was conducted on clinical data from patients who underwent single-level TLIF between 2014 and 2022. Data collection encompassed patient demographics, preoperative laboratory parameters, surgery-related data, perioperative radiographic data, and patient-reported outcomes were comprehensively documented. All patients were followed up for a minimum of 12 months. The relationship between GNRI and pedicle screw loosening was evaluated by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis, restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 426 patients were included in the study. The rate of pedicle screw loosening rate was 16.4% at a minimum follow-up of 12 months. Patients with pedicle screw loosening exhibited significantly lower GNRI (89.0 ± 8.0 vs. 99.2 ± 9.3, p < 0.001) and volumetric bone mineral density measured by quantitative computed tomography (QCT-vBMD) (84.2 [interquartile range (IQR) 79.6-92.2] vs. 104.0 [IQR 88.2-126.0] mg/cm3, p < 0.001) compared with those in the non-loosening group. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified sex (hazard ratio [HR] 1.433, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.714-2.876, p = 0.027), age (HR 1.062, 95% CI 1.014-1.113, p = 0.012), GNRI (HR 0.841, 95% CI 0.711-0.994, p = 0.043), and QCT-vBMD (HR 0.982, 95% CI 0.967-0.997, p = 0.019) as independent risk factors for screw loosening. RCS analysis showed that GNRI was negatively correlated with screw loosening (p < 0.0001). The area under the curve (AUC) for the GNRI in predicting pedicle screw loosening was 0.794, with a cut-off value of 95.590 (sensitivity, 85.7%; specificity 65.2%). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis identified that the lower-level GNRI group exhibited a higher cumulative incidence of screw loosening (log-rank test, p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

The GNRI was an independent risk factor for postoperative screw loosening in elderly patients undergoing TLIF for lumbar spine disease. Preoperative GNRI may potentially serve as a valuable tool in predicting postoperative screw loosening in elderly patients undergoing TLIF.

Pancreatic fat infiltration is associated with risk of vertebral fracture in older patients with type 2 diabetes: A longitudinal multicenter study

AIMS

Patients with type 2diabetesmellitus (T2DM) have high fracture risk. This study explored the associations between pancreatic computed tomography (CT) attenuation, a marker of pancreatic fat, and risk of vertebral fracture in T2DM patients.

METHODS

A total of 1486 T2DM patients who aged 50 years and older and without preexisting vertebral fractures during 2019-2023 at our institutions were followed up untilJanuary 2024. CT attenuation of the pancreas, bone and spleen were measured. Pancreatic attenuation/spleen attenuation ratio (P/S) was calculated. Vertebral fractures were evaluated on spine CT images according to Genant's semiquantitative scoring system.

RESULTS

A total of 135 cases of vertebral fracture were identified during 26 months of follow-up and 270 patients without vertebral fracture were matched. Pancreatic CT attenuation and the P/S ratio were negatively associated with the risk of vertebral fracture (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 0.97, 95 %confidence interval (CI): 0.96-0.99; aHR = 0.26, 95 %CI: 0.12-0.58). Addition of pancreatic attenuation or P/S ratio improved the performance of bone attenuation-based model (area under the curve = 0.72-0.763 vs 0.63-0.728).

CONCLUSION

Pancreatic fat infiltration is an associated factor for vertebral fracture in T2DM patients. Addition of pancreatic fat infiltration improved the predictive performance of the bone-based model.

Progress in treatment of chronic pancreatitis: A review based on the ClinicalTrials.gov database

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a chronic progressive fibro-inflammatory disease of the pancreas caused by various etiologies, characterized by recurrent upper abdominal pain and pancreatic exocrine dysfunction. ClinicalTrials.gov is the most commonly used clinical trial database, including information of clinical trials which have been completed or are ongoing, or upcoming. Based on the ClinicalTrials.gov database, we retrieved all clinical studies registered before June 30, 2024, screened out recent clinical studies related to CP, and summarized and integrated highlights and directions of these studies from the perspectives of nutritional support, medication, endoscopy, etc., aiming to provide new ideas for the design of CP clinical studies in the future.

Management of chronic pancreatitis: recent advances and future prospects

As a progressive fibroinflammatory disease, chronic pancreatitis (CP) often manifests as recurrent bouts of abdominal pain with or without complications, causing a heavy burden of health care. In recent years, some meaningful insights into the management of CP have been obtained from randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses, which were of great importance. Based on this research, it is shown that there are various treatments for CP. Therefore, it is of great importance to choose a suitable strategy for patients with CP individually. Relevant evidence on the management of CP was summarized in this review, including nutrition supplements, medication, endoscopy, surgery, exploration of novel therapies as well as evaluation and prediction of treatment response.

Does Chronic Pancreatitis in Growing Pigs Lead to Articular Cartilage Degradation and Alterations in Subchondral Bone?

Chronic pancreatitis (CP), a progressive inflammatory disease, poses diagnostic challenges due to its initially asymptomatic nature. While CP's impact on exocrine and endocrine functions is well-recognized, its potential influence on other body systems, particularly in young individuals, remains underexplored. This study investigates the hypothesis that CP in growing pigs leads to alterations in articular cartilage and subchondral bone, potentially contributing to osteoarthritis (OA) development. Utilizing a pig model of cerulein-induced CP, we examined the structural and compositional changes in subchondral bone, articular cartilage, and synovial fluid. Histological analyses, including Picrosirius Red and Safranin-O staining, were employed alongside immuno-histochemistry and Western blotting techniques. Our findings reveal significant changes in the subchondral bone, including reduced bone volume and alterations in collagen fiber composition. Articular cartilage in CP pigs exhibited decreased proteoglycan content and alterations in key proteins such as MMP-13 and TGF-β1, indicative of early cartilage degradation. These changes suggest a link between CP and musculoskeletal alterations, underscoring the need for further research into CP's systemic effects. Our study provides foundational insights into the relationship between CP and skeletal health, potentially guiding future pediatric healthcare strategies for early CP diagnosis and management.