ABSTRACT
Background and Objectives: Osteoporosis along with decreased bone density can lead to bone structure loss which increases the risk of fractures. Recent identification of genetic factors impels researchers to assess association of genetic variations with osteoporosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between FokI and ApaI polymorphisms of vitamin D receptor [VDR] gene and serum calcium level, serum 25-OH vitamin D level and osteoporosis in Iranian postmenopausal women
Materials and Methods: In this study, we included 194 over 50 years old postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and osteopenia and 50 over 50 years old healthy postmenopausal women as the control group. To study the polymorphisms, genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples containing EDTA anticoagulant. Genotyping of FokI and ApaI polymorphisms of VDR gene was performed using PCR-RFLP method
Results: Weight, height, age, serum 25-OH vitamin D, and calcium level were compared in three groups of control, osteopenia, and osteoporosis. The mean of serum calcium level was not significantly different but the means of age, weight, height, and serum 25-OH vitamin D level were significantly different between the patients and control group. Also, the differences in the distribution of FokI and ApaI genotypes were not statistically significant among the patients with osteopenia, osteoporosis and the control group
Conclusion: It seems that there is no association between FokI and ApaI polymorphisms of VDR gene and osteoporosis
ABSTRACT
Cardiac involvement in systemic sclerosis [SSc] is more prevalent than previously thought. In this study, the frequency and severity of cardiovascular involvement were assessed in SSc patients referred to Firouzgar Hospital. Fifty-eight patients with SSc, selected from the data bank of SSc patients, were reviewed for the frequency and severity of 8 organ involvements in this case series. The preliminary severity scale, published by international SSc study groups, was employed for the determination of the severity grade in the cardiovascular system. In the cardiac scoring scale, grade 0 represents normal heart [no cardiac involvement], grade 1 denotes mild involvement [electrocardiography [ECG] conduction defect and a left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] of 45-49%]], grade 2 signifies moderate involvement [arrhythmia, LVEF = 40-44%], grade 3 indicates severe involvement [LVEF <40%], and grade 4 stands for end stage [congestive heart failure and arrhythmia requiring treatment]. In this study, 24 [41.4%] patients were in the diffuse cutaneous [dcSSc] subset. The female to male ratio was 10.5:1, and the mean duration from symptom onset to diagnosis was 7.35 years for the dcSSc subset and 8.41 years for the limited cutaneous [lcSSc] subset of disease, there being no significant difference. Cardiac involvement in this series was seen in 13 [22.4%] cases; and there was no significant difference in terms of frequency and severity between the two disease subgroups [p value = 0.96 and p value = 0.46 respectively]. Our findings showed that the cardiac involvement in this series was infrequent and that there was no significant difference in the severity of cardiovascular involvement between the two subtypes of SSc in the late stage of the disease