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M D Fallon

Publications and source records attributed to M D Fallon.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and bone.

We studied the effects of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) on the histological manifestations of uremic bone disease. Twelve patients underwent bone biopsy immediately prior to and after one year of such treatment. Those with larger quantities of non-mineralized bone matrix (osteoid) experienced a reduction in relative osteoid volume, mean osteoid seam width, and total osteoid surface. Moreover, the use of time-spaced kinetic markers of mineralization (tetracycline) enabled us to demonstrate that CAPD usually decreased the amount of non-mineralized bone matrix by shortening mineralization lag time (that is, the interval from organic matrix deposition to its mineralization). The changes in the histomorphology appeared to occur independently of bone aluminum. These data indicate that CAPD generally enhances the mineralizing capacity of individual osteoblasts and suggests that such therapy is beneficial to the uremic skeleton.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1986

Does strict phosphorus control precipitate renal osteomalacia?

Hyperphosphatemia leads to the development of osteitis fibrosa in patients with chronic renal failure. In contrast, crippling osteomalacia may appear in uremic patients who are hypophosphatemic or aluminum intoxicated or who undergo total or subtotal parathyroidectomy. Thus, strict phosphorus control by use of aluminum-containing gels may ameliorate renal osteitis fibrosa, but may potentiate the development of osteomalacia. To evaluate this possibility, we compared the bone histologies of 10 chronic renal hemodialysis patients who consistently maintained predialysis phosphorus levels between 4-5 mg/dl (Strict-P) to those of 46 randomly selected dialysis patients (Random-P). We found that the Strict-P group had lower circulating immunoreactive PTH (P less than 0.02) and alkaline phosphatase (P less than 0.05) levels and, as expected, less evidence of hyperparathyroid bone disease. On the other hand, the Strict-P patients had osteomalacia, as evidenced by moderate osteoid accumulation and reduced capacity of bone to assume a fluorescent tetracycline label. Furthermore, all Strict-P patients had histological evidence of bone aluminum accumulation. We conclude that maintenance of normal serum P levels with aluminum-containing gels in hemodialysis patients prevents severe hyperparathyroid bone disease. Such treatment, however, is also attended by a moderate degree of aluminum-associated osteomalacia.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Osteomalacia in a night nurse.

A 41-year-old nurse, regularly employed on the night shift, complained of generalized bone pain and tenderness, pathologic pseudofractures, and the inability to walk. She assiduously avoided sunlight and dairy products and habitually ingested barbiturates. A low-serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH-D) level reflected her low total body store of vitamin D. A biopsy revealed osteomalacia. Years of marginal dietary vitamin D intake, along with lack of sun exposure and habitual use of phenobarbital, were possible multifactorial causes of the osteomalacia. Her symptoms completely disappeared with vitamin D and calcium treatment. Although classical vitamin D deficiency is now rare in Western nations of the world, patients with generalized bone pain should be thoroughly investigated with respect to diet, medication, and occupational conditions contributing to osteomalacia.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Bone and parathyroid inhibitory effects of S-2(3-aminopropylamino)ethylphosphorothioic acid. Studies in experimental animals and cultured bone cells.

S-2-(3-aminopropylamino)ethylphosphorothioic acid (WR 2721) is a radio- and chemoprotective agent which produces hypocalcemia in humans. Intravenous injection of 30 mg/kg WR 2721 in rats and 15 mg/kg in dogs lowers serum calcium by 19 and 25%, respectively. Hypocalcemia in dogs is associated with a fall in serum immunoreactive parathyroid hormone (PTH), which suggests that the mechanism of its hypocalcemic effect is acute hypoparathyroidism. Despite this effect on PTH, in eight chronically parathyroidectomized rats on a low phosphate diet, WR 2721 reduced serum calcium from 9.4 +/- 0.6 to 7.7 +/- 0.5 mg/dl (P less than 0.01) at 3 h. Furthermore, in dogs rendered hypercalcemic by continuous infusion of PTH, WR 2721 reduced serum calcium from 11.0 +/- 0.5 to 10.6 +/- 0.5 mg/dl (P less than 0.01). To determine whether WR 2721 causes hypocalcemia by enhancing the exit of calcium from the circulation or inhibiting its entry, the drug was infused 3 h after administration of 45Ca to rats. WR 2721 did not significantly increase the rate of disappearance of 45Ca from the circulation even though serum calcium fell by 19%. However, serum 45Ca specific activity was higher at 1.5 h (P less than 0.01) and 3 h (P less than 0.05) in rats given WR 2721 than in rats given vehicle alone, which suggests that WR 2721 blocks the entry of nonradioactive calcium into the circulation, presumably from bone. In incubations with fetal rat long bone labeled in utero with 45Ca, 10(-3) M WR 2721 inhibited PTH-stimulated, but not base-line release of 45Ca. Bone resorption by primary culture of chick osteoclasts was inhibited by WR 2721 at concentrations as low as 10(-4) M in the absence of hormonal stimulation. These studies suggest that WR 2721 lowers serum calcium predominantly by blocking calcium release from bone. This acute hypocalcemic effect is at least in part independent of its effect on the parathyroid glands, and is most likely a direct effect of the agent on bone resorption.

Amifostine↗
PubMed1984

Osteomalacia and osteitis fibrosa in a man ingesting aluminum hydroxide antacid.

A 53-year-old man with a history of long-term aluminum hydroxide antacid ingestion reported diffuse bone pain and multiple stress fractures over a two-year period. An undecalcified transiliac bone biopsy specimen revealed osteomalacia with osteitis fibrosa; plasma parathyroid hormone and cyclic AMP levels were normal. Following withdrawal of antacids and treatment with calcium and phosphorus, an initially elevated plasma, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D level fell to within the normal range, accompanied by decreased bone pain, healed stress fractures, and increased axial bone mineral content as determined by computed tomography of lumbar trabecular bone. Phosphate deprivation and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D excess may contribute to the poor mineralization and exaggerated resorption of bone observed in this syndrome. The clinical, biochemical, radiologic, and histologic features of previously reported cases are reviewed. Early recognition of this syndrome is important, since appropriate therapy promotes skeletal remineralization and prevents morbidity.

Aluminum Hydroxide↗
PubMed1984

Enzyme replacement therapy for infantile hypophosphatasia attempted by intravenous infusions of alkaline phosphatase-rich Paget plasma: results in three additional patients.

After biochemical and radiographic studies, enzyme replacement therapy in three patients with the infantile form of hypophosphatasia was attempted by weekly intravenous infusions of bone alkaline phosphatase-rich (BAP) plasma from patients with Paget bone disease. Subsequently, circulating BAP activity was substantially increased in each patient, and in one was maintained in the normal range for nearly 2 months. Despite partial or complete correction of the deficiency of circulating BAP activity, we observed no radiographic evidence for arrest of progressive osteopenia or improvement in rachitic defects in any of the patients. Failure of infants with hypophosphatasia to show significant healing of rickets on correction of circulating BAP activity supports the hypothesis that this isoenzyme functions in situ during normal skeletal mineralization.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1984

Oncogenic osteomalacia and inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion due to oat-cell carcinoma.

The syndrome of tumor-induced osteomalacia has been previously thought to occur only in association with mesenchymal tumors, although one report has linked prostatic carcinoma with the syndrome. We report the case of a patient who presented first with the clinical and biochemical features of the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion, and then oncogenic osteomalacia. The first syndrome was characterized by headaches, nausea, and vomiting; serum sodium determinations ranged between 107 and 118 meq/L with simultaneous urine spot sodium concentrations of 100 to 116 meq/L. The circulating antidiuretic hormone level was markedly elevated to 261.5 microU/mL. The osteomalacia was discovered incidentally when depressed serum phosphorus levels of 1.2 to 1.7 mg/dL were noted in association with 24-hour urine phosphorus excretion exceeding 1000 mg/24 h. Undecalcified tetracycline-labeled bone biopsy samples confirmed oncogenic osteomalacia. Only afterward was a small-cell carcinoma of the lung identified as the likely source of both of these syndromes.

Carcinoma, Small Cell↗
PubMed1984

Hypophosphatasia: clinicopathologic comparison of the infantile, childhood, and adult forms.

Histochemical and direct enzyme analysis of osseous tissue from 23 patients with hypophosphatasia revealed that all clinical forms of this inherited metabolic bone disease are characterized by deficiency of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in bone. The severe infantile form has the most profound deficiency, infantile form has the most profound deficiency, yet the cellular source of this enzyme--osteoblasts and their matrix vesicles--are normal by routine light and electron microscopy. Despite radiographic changes in bone metaphyses consistent with rickets, iliac crest biopsy of one affected child revealed no abnormalities; the other had evidence of a mineralization defect, but not as severe as that in affected infants. In this child and several affected adults with osteomalacia, osteoblasts appeared flat and metabolically inactive. Although these histological changes suggested a different pathogenetic mechanism for adult and childhood hypophosphatasia, these changes are most likely secondary to the underlying osteomalacia. Our findings are most consistent with evidence that childhood and adult hypophosphatasia often represent clinical expression of the heterozygous state for ALP deficiency which, when homozygous, results in the clinically severe, recessive, infantile form. Histochemical and direct analysis of bone tissue from controls and patients with hypophosphatasia demonstrated that the severe infantile form is associated with the most severe ALP deficiency. In the milder clinical forms, ALP deficiency in bone is not as profound. In general, the severity of the clinical expression of hypophosphatasia reflects the magnitude of the deficiency of ALP in bone. This is the expected finding for this inborn error of metabolism, which illustrates the major role bone ALP activity has in the process of normal skeletal mineralization.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Mast-cell proliferation in postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Because mast cell proliferation has been reported in disorders of abnormal bone remodeling, we quantitated the number of mast cells in undecalcified section of iliac crest bone from 16 untreated women with postmenopausal osteoporosis and contrasted the findings to values from 10 normal women and 12 normal men. The mean number of marrow mast cells was greater in normal women than men (1.17 vs 0.40 cells per mm2, P less than 0.05). Compared to the normal women, osteoporotic women had a greater number of mast cells in the marrow (3.38 vs 1.17 cells per mm2, P less than 0.01). However, there was no statistically significant correlation between the number of marrow mast cells and either the patient's age or the severity of the bone lesions, as assessed by histomorphometry. Our findings confirm the association between increased numbers of mast cells and postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

Sclerosteosis: neurogenetic and pathophysiologic analysis of an American kinship.

We studied an American kinship with sclerosteosis, an autosomal-recessive disorder of bone remodeling and bone overgrowth of the calvaria, skull base, and tubular bones. Unlike osteopetrosis, which is attributed to abnormal immune and osteoclast function as well as bone resorption, sclerosteosis appears to be primarily a disorder of osteoblast (bone formation) hyperactivity. Related to cranial vascular and neural foraminal narrowing and reduced intracranial volume, affected patients with sclerosteosis demonstrate frequent seventh nerve palsy, progressive optic and cranial neuropathies, mixed hearing loss, brainstem compression, intracranial hypertension with increased elastance, and sudden, premature death. Management should involve early childhood identification of homozygotes, monitoring and aggressive treatment of intracranial hypertension, and extensive bone removal from skull, posterior fossa, and cervical spine.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Exogenous hyperthyroidism with osteoporosis.

Symptomatic osteopenia accompanied by subclinical hyperthyroidism developed in three women who were receiving excess thyroid hormone medication. Excessive thyroid replacement therapy resulted in mild hypercalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, and hyperphosphatasemia associated with diffuse skeletal demineralization and multiple fractures. Nondecalcified sections of double tetracycline-labeled iliac crest bone showed an accelerated rate of bone turnover with marked osteoclastosis and resorption of the cortical as well as the trabecular bone, typical of endogenous hyperthyroidism. Since thyroid hormones are among the most frequently prescribed medications, bone loss caused by exogenous hyperthyroidism may be more common than previously recognized.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

Multinucleation enhances macrophage-mediated bone resorption.

The degradation of mineralized connective tissues in vivo is a function of multinucleated giant cells ('clasts) derived from and belonging to the mononuclear phagocyte family. However, it is not known whether the attainment of the multinucleated state is causally or only coincidentally related to 'clast degradative activity. To address this issue, 'clast-like polykaryons were produced by exposing elicited rat macrophages to human serum (10% for 7 to 14 days). Pure populations (90%) of multinucleated cells and their mononuclear macrophage counterparts were then assessed for their ability to bind and degrade 45Ca-labeled, devitalized bone particles in vitro. Macrophage polykaryons bind bone particles significantly more effectively than ordinary elicited mononuclear macrophages (approximately 40% attachment versus approximately 25%; p less than 0.001). Similarly, 'clast-like polykaryons resorb both large (24 to 43 microns diameter) and small (less than or equal to 24 microns) particles more efficiently than age- and culture condition-matched mononuclear cells (treated to control ratios, 1.3 to 4.2:1, p less than 0.001). This difference in degradative activity remains highly significant whether resorption (45Ca release) is expressed per microgram of DNA, per 100 micrograms of protein, or per total cell surface area. We conclude that multinucleation produces qualitative changes in the resorptive capacity of macrophagic cells. The data suggest that the formation of polykaryons is a physiologically important event in 'clast development.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

An improved method for the retrieval of cultured macrophages.

We report a simple procedure for the maintenance and retrieval of rodent peritoneal macrophages on dialysis membrane supports. Culture units are easily constructed from plastic petri dishes and dialysis membranes. Macrophages adhere readily but are detached easily from the dialysis membrane by mild mechanical agitation. Cell viability remains high and the morphologic and functional characteristics of the macrophages are maintained.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Adult hypophosphatasia with chondrocalcinosis and arthropathy. Variable penetrance of hypophosphatasemia in a large Oklahoma kindred.

Three sisters, each with chondrocalcinosis/arthropathy, are described who have the clinical, laboratory and pathologic findings characteristic of the adult form of hypophosphatasia. Premature loss of adult teeth, arthralgias and pain from bilateral femoral pseudo-fractures were associated with subnormal circulating alkaline phosphatase levels, phosphoethanolaminuria and osteomalacia diagnosed by iliac crest biopsy. Assay of alkaline phosphatase activity in the blood of kindred members revealed hypophosphatasemia in one of two younger brothers. Several subjects in subsequent generations also had suspiciously low alkaline phosphatase activity, but did not have histories of significant dental, bone or joint disease. Review of the medical records of the sisters' parents, aunts and uncles revealed normal alkaline phosphatase levels in their father and five of his siblings, but consistently low levels in their mother and two of her siblings. Despite hypophosphatasemia, the sisters' mother and her siblings lived to old age without clinical or radiographic evidence of bone disease. Our findings suggest that although adult hypophosphatasia can be transmitted as a dominant trait in some kindreds, there is considerable variation in the clinical expression of the biochemical defect. One person, generation or family may manifest clinical bone disease and arthropathy whereas the biochemical defect may be present but remain asymptomatic in others. Furthermore, in some cases, the adult form of hypophosphatasia may represent a developmental disorder with hypophosphatasemia appearing during adulthood.

Adolescent↗