Bone and Metabolic Markers in Women With Recurrent Calcium Stones

PURPOSE: The target of our work was to study several biochemical parameters in phospho-calcic and bone metabolism in blood and urine and the bone mineral density of women with recurrent calcium nephrolithiasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study with a control group of 85 women divided into 3 groups: group 1 consisted of 25 women without a history of nephrolithiasis, group 2 consisted of 35 women with only one episode of calcium nephrolithiasis, and group 3 consisted of 25 women with a history of recurrent calcium nephrolithiasis. Blood and urine biochemical study was performed, including markers related to lithiasis, and a bone mineral density study was done by use of bone densitometry. RESULTS: Patients in group 3 showed statistically significantly elevated calciuria (15.4 mg/dL), fasting calcium/creatinine ratio (0.14), and 24-hour calcium/creatinine ratio (0.21) compared with groups 1 and 2. Moreover, this group of women with recurrent calcium nephrolithiasis had significantly elevated values of beta-crosslaps, a bone resorption marker, compared with groups 1 and 2 (p=0.000) and showed more bone mineral density loss than did these groups. CONCLUSIONS: Recurrent calcium nephrolithiasis in women has a significant association with bone mineral density loss and with values of calciuria, both fasting and 24-hour.

Clinical Efficacy in the Treatment of Overactive Bladder Refractory to Anticholinergics by Posterior Tibial Nerve Stimulation

PURPOSE: Overactive bladder (OAB) is a clinical syndrome that is currently treated initially with anticholinergics, although some other therapeutic alternatives exist, such as neuromodulation, botulinum toxin, and posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS). The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of PTNS in patients with OAB refractory to anticholinergics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We present a cohort study of 14 women with OAB to whom we applied PTNS. We assessed (before and after the treatment) the diurnal micturitional frequency, the nocturnal micturitional frequency, urgency episodes, and urge incontinence episodes. Results were analyzed by using the Wilcoxon test for nonparametric samples. RESULTS: We observed statistically significant improvement in the diurnal micturitional frequency (p=0.05), in episodes of micturitional urgency (p=0.03), and in episodes of urge incontinence (p=0.004). A total of 50% of the patients felt subjective improvement from their pathology. CONCLUSIONS: PTNS is a valid, minimally invasive treatment option with minimum morbidity for patients with OAB refractory to treatment with anticholinergics.

Metabolic-mineral study in patients with renal calcium lithiasis, severe lithogenic activity and loss of bone mineral density

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>This study assessed the presence of osteoporosis/osteopenia in patients with severe lithogenic activity and compared their metabolisms with those in patients without lithiasis or with mild lithogenic activity.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From a sample of 182 patients, those with osteopenia/osteoporosis at the hip and lumbar spine were studied separately in a two-pronged study. 66 patients with bone mineral densities (BMDs) < -1 standard deviation (SD) on a T-score scale at the hip were divided into three groups: group A1 without lithiasis (n = 15); group A2 with lithiasis and mild lithogenic activity (n = 22); and group A3 with lithiasis and severe lithogenic activity (n = 29). Similarly, 86 patients with BMDs < -1 SD on a T-score scale at the lumbar spine were divided into three groups: group B1 without lithiasis (n = 15); group B2 with lithiasis and mild lithogenic activity (n = 29); and group B3 with lithiasis and severe lithogenic activity (n = 42).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Patients from group A3 exhibited significantly higher levels of bone remodelling markers as compared to groups A1 and A2. Urinalysis also revealed higher excretion of calcium in 24-hour assessments in this group. Patients from group B3 differed from groups B1 and B2 mainly in bone remodelling markers and 24-hour urinary calcium excretion, which were significantly elevated in patients from group B3.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Patients with calcium lithiasis and severe lithogenic activity in addition to osteopenia/osteoporosis present with higher levels of hypercalciuria and negative osseous balance, which possibly perpetuate and favour lithiasic activity.</p>