592 research outputs found
Environmental and economic assessment of hydrogen compression with the metal hydride technology
Research and development of hydrogen carrier based solutions for hydrogen compression and storage
Conditions of ore formation at the Gorno MVT deposits (Lombardy, Italy): insights from fluid inclusions
An archaeometric study of the Neolithic greenstone industry of Brignano Frascata (Italy): archaeological/minero-petrographic implications and possible supply sources
A short-term incubation with high glucose impairs VASP phosphorylation at serine 239 in response to the nitric oxide/cGMP pathway in vascular smooth muscle cells: role of oxidative stress.
Long-Term Efficacy of Intensive Zoledronate Therapy and Predictors of Retreatment in Paget’s Disease of Bone
Despite the current debate on the best therapeutic approach, i.e. symptomatic vs intensive strategy, one zoledronate (Zol) infusion is effective in most patients with Paget’s disease of bone (PDB), whereas few need retreatment, whose predictors are not well established. We aimed to evaluate long-term efficacy of intensive Zol therapy and predictors of retreatment in PDB. Pagetic complications, clinical and biochemical response to Zol together with frequency of retreatment were retrospectively assessed in forty-seven PDB patients (age, mean ± SD: 72.5 ± 8.9 years, M/F: 24/23; symptomatic/asymptomatic: 16/31). Statistical analysis for retreatment prediction were based on Mann–Whitney U test, Pearson’s Χ2 and ROC curve analysis. During seven-year follow-up, all patients achieved pain relief and only one underwent arthroplasty. Bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) detected three non-responder (6%) and six relapsing (13%) patients needing retreatment. Retreated patients had less old age (66.1 ± 11.2 vs 74.0 ± 7.7 years), higher frequency of polyostotic disease (78% vs 40%) and higher baseline (96.5 ± 24.8 vs 44.9 ± 27.7 mcg/l) and post-Zol nadir BAP levels (24.7 ± 24.1 vs 8.1 ± 4.1 mcg/l) than patients treated once (p < 0.05 for all comparisons). In multivariate analysis both serum baseline and post-Zol nadir BAP significantly predicted retreatment (OR 1.09, 95%CI 1.01–1.17 and 1.29, 1.03–1.62, respectively), with ROC curve analysis showing the greatest accuracies for threshold values of 75.6 and 9.9 mcg/l (sensitivity 88 and 90%, specificity 94 and 86%, AUC 0.92 and 0.93, respectively). Our data in mostly asymptomatic, metabolically active PDB patients treated with intensive Zol therapy show a negligible incidence of pagetic complications and long-term optimal disease control, with BAP being the best predictor of retreatment
Predictors of risk of fracture in inflammatory bowel diseases: a prospective study using FRAX score
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