Use of disphosphonates in the treatment of osteoporosis in thyroidectomized patients on levothyroxin replacement therapy

Bone mineral density at medio distal (MD-BMD) and ultra distal (UD-BMD) sites of non dominant radius were studied, using a DEXA Mineralometer (TURBOSCAN-NIM) on a series of 20 patients, over 60 years old, all thyroidectomized for thyroid carcinoma and treated with levothyroxin replacement therapy. T3 and T4 (RIA method), TSH (IRMA method) and two cardiac parameters as TPER (time peak ejection rate) and TPFR (time peak filling rate) by angiocardioscintigraphy were also determined. Results showed that 19 patients considering MD-BMD values and ten considering UD-BMD values were at risk of fractures. Circulating T3 levels were within normal range in 17 patients, elevated in two cases and reduced in one case. Circulating T4 levels were within normal range in 15 patients, increased in four cases and reduced in one case. Circulating TSH levels were within normal range in 17 patients, reduced in two cases and elevated in one case. TPER were reduced in 18 patients and normal in two cases. TPFR were reduced in six patients and normal in fourteen cases. The authors administered alendronate (10 mg/day) which seems to prevent bone loss, especially at the level of the trabecular bone. Bone loss reverted at 6 and 12 months, confirming that disphosphonates slow down this phenomenon in a situation of increased bone turnover (e.g. patients on long-term L-T4 therapy).

Altered laboratory thyroid parameters indicating hyperthyroidism in elderly subjects

The most common laboratory alterations of thyroid function indicating hyperthyroidism were evaluated in a series of 3015 subjects over 65 years of age by determining total T3, total T4 and TSH. Ultrasound and scintigraphy of the thyroid were performed where necessary. Our results showed a high prevalence of laboratory alterations hyperthyroidism type of around 8.09%, whereas the real prevalence (both clinical and laboratory) is 2.00% with a female/male ratio of 2.00. The most frequent hyperfunctioning thyreopaty is thyroidal adenoma (50%), followed by toxic multinodular goiter (33%) and Basedow's disease (17%). The most common clinical signs of hyperthyroidism involve the neuromuscular system and are often present in the so called 'euthyroid' elderly subject. We conclude that it is very difficult to diagnose hyperthyroidism in the elderly on clinical and laboratory grounds. The most significative laboratory thyroid parameter indicating hyperthyroidism seems to be TSH values below 0.2 IU/ml determined using the ultrasensitive IRMA method.

The leptin, a new hormone of adipose tissue: clinical findings and perspectives in geriatrics

Obesity has gained a great importance during the last decades, and this fact stimulated numerous studies regarding the genetic causes of this disease. A recently discovered new molecule, called leptin, raised a wide interest. It is a product of the adipocytes, it exerts inhibitory effects on the center of appetite and increases the energy expenditure of the organism. The present study evaluated blood leptin levels in 57 elderly subjects and searched for eventual correlations between this parameter and the age, the body mass index (BMI), the fat body mass (fat%), the waist (W) and hip (H) circumference, as well as the ratio (R) of these latter two values (WHR). Blood leptin levels do not correlate with age, body height and the WHR, but display significant positive correlations with the body weight, the BMI, the fat%, the W, H and WHR. A deeper knowledge on leptin and the correlations of this hormone with other body parameters might be helpful in a better understanding of several pathogenetic mechanisms related to aging and involved in a deterioration of the quality of life in elderly, like multiple atherosclerotic and metabolic diseases (diabetes, dyslipidemias).

Use of alendronate in treatment of secondary osteoporosis from hypopituitarism: a case report

The authors report a case of hypogonadotropic and hypothyrotropic partial hypopituitarism, being treated for over sixteen years with a substitution therapy consisting of estroprogestogenal hormones and L-thyroxine, presenting severe secondary osteoporosis, detected by densitometric examination (DEXA) of the medial and ultradistal sites of the non dominant radius. The patient was treated with alendronate (10 mg/die) for two years, in addition to the estroprogestogen therapy, resulting in a significant recovery of bone mass, equal to 16% compared to initial values, reaching near normal bone density values. On analysing the mechanisms of action of the bisphosphonates, the estrogens and the L-thyroxines, the authors suggest a synergic mechanism between the estrogen and the alendronate, which act on the bone turn-over at different times. Also, the alendronate would seem to antagonise the osteopenia of L-thyroxine, though this mechanism is still unknown.

Leukoaraiosis, cognitivity and affectivity in elderly patients: on the lack of correlations between neurodiagnostic and psychometric findings

Among the age-related pathophysiological alterations of the brain, the anomalies of the white matter are becoming of increasing interest at both pathological and clinical levels. Wherever specific pathologies of the white matter can be excluded, the still encountered anomalies are generally defined as leukoaraiosis (from the Greek words white and rarefaction), in order to indicate certain ill-defined, slurred subcortical areas which may be single, multiple, or confluent, representing transparent white matter regions, most probably of ischemic origin. The causes, risk factors and clinical significance of leukoaraiosis have remained so far unknown. At clinical level, it is believed to be connected with cognitive and affective disorders. This study intended to collect evidence of the presence and to estimate the extent of eventual cognitive and affective disorders in a sample of elderly patients displaying cerebral lesions like simple or associated leukoaraiosis, as well as other stabilized focal, single or multiple ischemic lesions, cerebral atrophy, lacunar state and vascular cerebropathies without leukoaraiosis. So far no significant correlations have been encountered between the neurodiagnostic and psychometric findings.

Assessment of cognitive and affective disorders in an elderly population undergoing hemodialysis

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of cognitive and affective disorders in a group of elderly people suffering from chronic renal failure (CRF) and undergoing outpatient hemodialysis. Psychogeriatric assessment was performed on 39 individuals over 65 years of age suffering from CRF, and on a control group composed of 35 healthy elderly individuals. Assessment was made through Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Activity Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activity Daily Living (IADL) shortly before hemodialysis. A number of blood parameters were determined for both groups to evaluate the state of metabolic compensation. The elderly people undergoing hemodialysis did not seem to present a greater decline in cognitive capacity than their healthy peers, even if this is closely related to the level of anemia present in hemodialysis patients. On the other hand, affective disorders were widely observed, although in mild form, and seem to depend on factors other than age. There is certainly a reactive element deriving from the hemodialysis condition itself and the problems related to it, whereas an organic element linked to CRF cannot be excluded, and which seems to be related to anemia. Finally, the level of independence does not seem to be compromised in hemodialysis patients.

Electroionotherapy in acute arthrorheumatic pain

The authors evaluated the efficacy of an electronic treatment for pain, using an ion flow generator, BE-101 model by Bio-Ejt, on 19 patients suffering from acute pain of an arthrorheumatic nature. Each patient was treated for two weeks every other day (6 sittings), each sitting lasting 20 minutes at an intensity of about 30 microAmper for both transducers. The results demonstrated that this technique is very effective in curing the pain.

Estrogens and euosteogenesis in men

The bone mineral density (BMD) has been analyzed in 200 male patients divided in 4 groups of age as follows: (A) 40-49, (B) 50-59, (C) 60-69, and (D) 70 years and above. BMD was measured by using the DEXA technique both in the ultradistal and mediodistal region of radius of the non-dominant side. In addition, the serum levels of testosterone (Ts), dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and 17-beta estradiol (E-2) have also been measured. The data obtained have shown that bone mineral density values are decreasing also in the males with advancing age, and the positive correlation (p < 0.05) of BMD with the E-2 levels also tend to decrease. These results suggest the hypothesis that the true sexual hormones regulating the rhythm of osteogenesis may be the estrogens in the males, too.

Altered laboratory thyroid parameters indicating hypothyroidism in elderly subjects

The altered laboratory thyroid parameters indicating hypothyroidism were evaluated in a series of 3015 subjects over 65 years of age by determining total T3, total T4 and TSH. In addition, clinical signs of hypothyroidism were recorded in a subsample of 300 randomly selected elderly. Our results showed a high prevalence of altered laboratory thyroid parameters indicating hypothyroidism of 17.88%, whereas the real prevalence (both clinical and laboratory) is 1.00% with a female/male ratio of 2.00. The most frequent laboratory alterations was the so-called 'alerted pituitary' status'. The most common clinical signs of hypothyroidism involved the nervous system. We conclude that it is very difficult to diagnose hypothyroidism in the elderly and that the most indicative laboratory alterations seem to be TSH values above 3 IU/ml determined using the IRMA method.

Senile diabetes and bone mineral density

Bone mineral density was determined in a series of 67 elderly diabetics (38 males and 29 females) and 40 non-diabetic elderly subjects (20 males and 20 females) at the third medial and tenth ultradistal of the non-dominating radius using an X-ray densitometer (DEXA). Bone metabolism markers (Ct, PTH, HOP, UCA, AP, Vit-25-OH-D, BGP) were also measured. Our results indicate that there is no significant difference in values of BMD and the bone metabolism markers studied between diabetic and non-diabetic elderly subjects. We believe that senile diabetes is not a risk factor of onset and maintenance of senile osteoporosis.

Ipriflavone-treatment of senile osteoporosis: results of a multicenter, double-blind clinical trial of 2 years

Eighty-four out of 100 enrolled female patients affected by osteoporosis completed a double-blind, randomized trial, using ipriflavone (IP) in a dose of 3 x 200 mg/day (41 patients) or placebo (P)(43 patients). All patients received 1 g/day oral calcium supplementation. Inclusion criteria were: age over 65 years; at least one vertebral fracture in the past; bone mineral density measured at the distal tenth of the radius lower than the normal average -2 x S.D. The trial period was between June 1990 and November 1993. Patients of the IP group showed a significant increase in bone mineral density (P < 0.05) compared with the starting values during the whole study period. Pain decreased rapidly, intake of analgesics dropped, and often significant decreases in calciuria, hydroxyprolinuria, alkaline phospatase, osteocalcin and parathormone values were observed. Only two new fractures occurred during the trial in the IP group. Patients of the P group at the end of the study displayed decreased bone mineral densities (P < 0.05), increased pain, greater consumption of analgesics, and often significant increases in the bone metabolism parameters listed for the IP group. In the

Alterations of blood and plasma viscosity and erythrocyte filtration in senile osteoporosis

Blood and plasma viscosity, as well as erythrocyte filtration rates were studied in 44 osteopenic (20 men and 24 women) and in 40 non-osteopenic (20 men and 20 women) patients, all over 65 years of age. Pathological hemorheological parameters were observed only in 12 subject of the osteopenic group, and 10 controls. The results indicate that although the hemorheological parameters do not show a direct correlation with the osteopenia, it is worthwhile following these parameters, among others, in order to optimize the treatment with anti-osteoporotic drugs which are able to regulate them.

Tumorigenicity of EJ-ras oncogene transformed NIH 3T3 cells and expression of plasminogen activators

A number of clonal cell lines have been isolated from NIH 3T3 cells transfected with the plasmid, pSV2 gpt-EJ-ras. The plasmid expresses Val12 instead of Gly12 in p21 ras protein and can be selected for the expression of E. coli XGPRT gene in mammalian cells. Southern analyses of the Eco R1 and Bam H1 digests of chromosomal DNA shows that multiple copies of the plasmid are integrated in a tandem sequence in the clones used in this study. The transfectants showed refractile appearance and criss-crossed pattern of growth, exhibited elevated expression of ras mRNA and formed tumors in nude mice commensurate with the copy number of the integrated EJ-ras gene. The increased propensity to form tumors did not correlate with the expression of urinary or tissue plasminogen activators (u-PA or t-PA). The cellular and secreted activity of u-PA in fact decreased as the ras gene expression increased. These data show that the enhanced tumorigenicity of transformed murine cells is related to the tandem integration and expression of human EJ-ras. The overexpression of ras has very little effect on t-PA but appears to suppress u-PA activity.