Associations of vertebral deformities and osteoarthritis with back pain among Japanese women: the Hizen-Oshima study

We examined the spinal distribution of the types of vertebral deformities and the associations of vertebral deformities and osteoarthritis with back pain in Japanese women. Midthoracic and upper lumbar vertebrae were more susceptible to deformity. Vertebral deformity and osteoarthritis were frequent and were associated with back pain. Introduction: Vertebral fractures due to osteoporosis and osteoarthritis are both common and significant health problems in aged people. However, little is known about the descriptive epidemiology of the individual deformity types and the relative clinical impact in women in Japan. Methods: Lateral radiographs were obtained from 584 Japanese women ages 40 to 89 years old. Deformities were defined as vertebral heights of more than 3 standard deviations (SDs) below the normal mean. Osteoarthritis was defined as Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade 2 or higher. Information on upper or low back pain during the previous month was collected by questionnaire. We compared the spinal distribution of the three types of vertebral deformities (wedge, endplate, and crush) typical of fractures and examined the associations of number and type of vertebral deformities and osteoarthritis with back pain. Results: Fifteen percent of women had at least one vertebral deformity and 74% had vertebral osteoarthritis. The prevalence of upper or low back pain was 30.1%. Deformities were most common in the midthoracic and upper lumbar regions and wedge was the frequent type, followed by endplate and crush. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of back pain was 3.0 (95% CI 1.5-6.3) times higher for women with a single wedge deformity and 3.2 (95% CI 1.0 - 0.6) times higher for women with two or more wedge deformities, compared to women with no wedge deformity. Vertebral osteoarthritis was associated with back pain (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-2.9), independent of other covariates including age and deformities. Conclusion: Our results in this group of Japanese women are similar to and consistent with results reported previously in other populations of Japanese and Caucasians

Effect of self-reported walking difficulty on bone mass and bone resorption marker in Japanese people aged 40?years and over

Background: This study aimed to examine the association of walking difficulty with bone mass or bone turnover among community-dwelling Japanese people aged 40 years and older. Methods: We studied 1097 community-dwelling Japanese people aged 40 years and older (379 men and 718 women) who were invited to participate in periodic health examinations in 2006?2009. Walking difficulty was defined as having difficulty walking 100 m on a level surface (self-administered questionnaire). Calcaneal stiffness index (bone mass) was measured by quantitative ultrasound. Spot urine samples were collected, and urinary N-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen (NTx) was measured. Values were corrected for creatinine (Cre) concentration. Results: The prevalence of walking difficulty was significantly higher in women than in men (7.4 vs. 3.4 %, p?=?0.011) and significantly increased with age in men (p for trend?=?0.02) and women (p for trend <0.001). In univariate analysis, men and women with walking difficulty were older (p?<?0.001) and had a lower stiffness index (p?<?0.001), compared with those without walking difficulty. Among women, individuals with walking difficulty had significantly higher urinary NTx/Cre than those without walking difficulty (p?<?0.001); however, this was not so among men (p?=?0.39). Multiple regression analysis adjusted for age, weight, and menopausal status showed a significant association between walking difficulty and lower stiffness index in men (p?=?0.004) and women (p?=?0.005). In women, walking difficulty was significantly associated with higher NTx/Cre (p?=?0.001), but not in men (p?=?0.35). Conclusions: Walking difficulty may contribute to low bone mass in both sexes but might cause high bone turnover in women only

Associations of vertebral deformities and osteoarthritis with back pain among Japanese women: the Hizen-Oshima study

Abstract Summary We examined the spinal distribution of the types of vertebral deformities and the associations of vertebral deformities and osteoarthritis with back pain in Japanese women. Midthoracic and upper lumbar vertebrae were more susceptible to deformity. Vertebral deformity and osteoarthritis were frequent and were associated with back pain. Introduction Vertebral fractures due to osteoporosis and osteoarthritis are both common and significant health problems in aged people. However, little is known about the descriptive epidemiology of the individual deformity types and the relative clinical impact in women in Japan. Methods Lateral radiographs were obtained from 584 Japanese women ages 40 to 89 years old. Deformities were defined as vertebral heights of more than 3 standard deviations (SDs) below the normal mean. Osteoarthritis was defined as KellgrenLawrence (KL) grade 2 or higher. Information on upper or low back pain during the previous month was collected by questionnaire. We compared the spinal distribution of the three types of vertebral deformities (wedge, endplate, and crush) typical of fractures and examined the associations of number and type of vertebral deformities and osteoarthritis with back pain. Results Fifteen percent of women had at least one vertebral deformity and 74% had vertebral osteoarthritis. The prevalence of upper or low back pain was 30.1%. Deformities were most common in the midthoracic and upper lumbar regions and wedge was the frequent type, followed by endplate and crush. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of back pain was 3.0 (95% CI 1.5-6.3) times higher for women with a single wedge deformity and 3.2 (95% CI 1.0--0.6) times higher for women with two or more wedge deformities, compared to women with no wedge deformity. Vertebral osteoarthritis was associated with back pain (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-2.9), independent of other covariates including age and deformities. Conclusion Our results in this group of Japanese women are similar to and consistent with results reported previously in other populations of Japanese and Caucasians

Chromosomal Integration Pattern of a Helper-Dependent Minimal Adenovirus Vector with a Selectable Marker Inserted into a 27.4-Kilobase Genomic Stuffer

Helper-dependent minimal adenovirus vectors are promising tools for gene transfer and therapy because of their high capacity and the absence of immunostimulatory or cytotoxic viral genes. In order to characterize this new vector system with respect to its integrative properties, the integration pattern of a minimal adenovirus vector with a neo(r) gene inserted centrally into a noncoding 27.4-kb genomic stuffer element derived from the human X chromosome after infection of a sex chromosome aneuploid (X0) human glioblastoma cell line was studied. Our results indicate that even extensive homologies and abundant chromosomal repeat elements present in the vector did not lead to integration of the vector via homologous or homology-mediated mechanisms. Instead, integration occurred primarily by insertion of a monomer with no or little loss of sequences at the vector ends, apparently at random sites, which is very similar to E1 deletion adenovirus vectors. It is therefore unlikely that the incorporation of stuffer elements derived from human genomic DNA, which were shown to allow long-term transgene expression in vivo in a number of studies, leads to an enhanced risk of insertional mutagenesis. Furthermore, our findings indicate that the potential of minimal adenovirus vectors as tools for targeted insertion and gene targeting is limited despite the possibility of incorporating long stretches of homologous sequences. However, we found an enhanced efficiency of stable neo(r) transduction of the minimal adenovirus vector compared to an E1 deletion adenovirus vector, possibly caused by the absence of potential growth-inhibitory viral genes. Complete integration of the vector and tolerance of the integrated vector sequences by the cell might indicate a potential use of these vectors as tools for stable transfer of (large) genes

Association of vertebral compression fractures with physical performance measures among community-dwelling Japanese women aged 40 years and older

Background: Numerous reported studies have shown that vertebral compression fractures are associated with impaired function or disability; however, few examined their association with objective measures of physical performance or functioning. Methods: We examined the association of vertebral compression fractures with physical performance measures in 556 Japanese women aged 40-89 years. Lateral spine radiographs were obtained and radiographic vertebral compression fractures were assessed by quantitative morphometry, defined as vertebral heights more than 3 SD below the normal mean. Measures of physical performance included walking speed, chair stand time and functional reach. Adjusted means of performance-based measures according to the number and severity of vertebral compression fractures were calculated using general linear modeling methods. Results: After adjusting for age, body mass index, back pain, number of painful joints, number of comorbidities and regular physical activities, the walking speed of women with two or more compression fractures (1.17 m/s) was significantly slower than that of women without compression fracture (1.24 m/s) (p = 0.03). Compared with women without compression fracture, chair stand time was longer in women with two or more compression fractures (p = 0.01), and functional reach was shorter (p = 0.01). No significant differences were observed in walking speed, chair stand time, or functional reach between women with one compression fracture and those without compression fracture. Conclusions: Having multiple vertebral compression fractures affects physical performance in community-dwelling Japanese women. Poor physical functioning may lead to functional dependence, accelerated bone loss, and increased risk for falls, injuries, and fractures. Preventing vertebral compression fracture is considered important for preserving the independence of older adults