ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To determine the effect of alendronate on glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis(GIO).@*METHODS@#Thirty-five GIO patients were enrolled. Ten milligrams alendronate were prescribed daily for 6 months. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer (DEXA) after and before the treatment.@*RESULTS@#BMD at lumbar, neck and trochanter sites of the 35 patients after the treatment was significantly increased compared with those before the treatment (P<0.05). Urine Ca/Cr level was decreased (P<0.05). There was no severe side effect.@*CONCLUSION@#Alendronate is effective and well tolerated for GIO.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Alendronate , Therapeutic Uses , Bone Density , Bone Density Conservation Agents , Therapeutic Uses , Osteoporosis , Drug Therapy , Prednisone , Therapeutic Uses , Rheumatic Fever , Drug TherapyABSTRACT
Objective To observe the survival and multiplication of Legionella pneumophila cocultured with Acanthamoeba polyphaga for setting up the laboratory model of such infections. Methods With the ratio of 1∶1000, Acanthamoeba polyphaga and Legionella pneumophila were cocultured under laboratory condition. We investigated the intracellular growth, survival and multiplication of Legionella pneumophila in Acanthamoeba polyphaga in morphological way by using inverted microscopy,electron microscopy and Giemsa staining of the cover glass picking up from the flask. Results Giemsa staining of the cover glass from the culture flask showed that the vacuoles appeared after 8 h coculture, and became more and bigger with the time. After 24 h, Giemsa staining showed that the bacteria started to accumulate within amoeba. In the anaphase of the coculture, the infected amoeba lacked defined organelle structures and was filled with legionella. The electron microscope revealed the survival of legionella in vacuoles of both trophozoites and cysts, showing different phases of binary fission. Conclusions Legionella pneumophila can survive and multiply in Acanthamoeba polyphaga . The results indicated that live amoeba could be a reservoir host for Legionella pneumophila.