RESUMO
Overexpression of dickkopf (DKK)-1 in pagetic osteoblast cultures resulted in stimulation of osteoclast proliferation and inhibition of osteoblast growth. The aim of this study was to evaluate for the first time in Paget's disease of bone (PDB): 1) the serum levels of DKK1; 2) the association of DKK-1 with receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG); and 3) the effect of zoledronic acid (ZOL) on serum DKK-1, RANKL, and OPG. The study was conducted as a prospective open-label cohort study. Eleven patients with PDB (median age 60 years) were recruited. Twelve age- gender- and body mass index (BMI)-matched healthy individuals were used as controls at baseline. Blood samples were obtained before treatment (baseline) and after 3, 6, 12, and 18 months following ZOL infusion in patients with PDB. Patients with PDB had significantly higher RANKL (p=0.002), OPG (p=0.001), and bone markers (total alkaline phosphatase and C-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen) compared with controls at baseline. There was no difference between groups in DKK-1 at baseline. Bone markers were both significantly decreased after therapy. Serum OPG, RANKL, RANKL:OPG ratio, and DKK-1 remained unaffected throughout the study. No correlations were found between OPG, RANKL, RANKL:OPG ratio, and DKK-1 at baseline nor between their changes during the study. Although both OPG and RANKL were increased in patients with PDB, ZOL had no effect on their serum levels. Serum DKK-1 was neither increased in patients with PDB nor related to OPG and RANKL, and was unaffected by ZOL.
Assuntos
Difosfonatos/administração & dosagem , Imidazóis/administração & dosagem , Peptídeos e Proteínas de Sinalização Intercelular/sangue , Osteíte Deformante/tratamento farmacológico , Osteoprotegerina/sangue , Ligante RANK/sangue , Idoso , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Estudos de Coortes , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Osteíte Deformante/sangue , Estudos Prospectivos , Ácido ZoledrônicoRESUMO
A major outbreak of febrile syndrome occurred during 2002 among the Greek Army forces in Cyprus. Serological and molecular investigations revealed that the causative agent was a Sicilian-like phlebovirus. A virus strain was isolated from a blood sample taken on the first day of the disease. Phylogenetic analysis of partial L RNA segment sequences revealed that the strain from Cyprus differed from sandfly Sicilian virus by 6.7% at the nucleotide level.
Assuntos
Infecções por Bunyaviridae/epidemiologia , Surtos de Doenças , Phlebovirus/isolamento & purificação , Adulto , Sangue/virologia , Infecções por Bunyaviridae/fisiopatologia , Chipre/epidemiologia , Febre/epidemiologia , Febre/virologia , Humanos , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Phlebovirus/classificação , Phlebovirus/genética , Filogenia , RNA Viral/genética , Análise de Sequência de DNA , Homologia de SequênciaRESUMO
During the spring and summer of 2001, an outbreak of eight cases of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) occurred in Albania. The epidemiological investigation, the clinical presentation of the cases, and the course of the disease are described. Seven of the cases were laboratory confirmed. A nosocomial infection and a cluster of cases within a family were observed. Genetic analysis of the CCHF virus strain that caused the outbreak showed that it was clustered together with other European CCHF virus strains except the Greek one (strain AP92). The Greek strain, which forms an independent clade, differed from the causative strain by 25.3% at the nucleotide level.
