PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

V Jorgetti

Publications and source records attributed to V Jorgetti.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Can we use 99mTc-MIBI in functional studies of the parathyroid gland?

The usefulness of technetium-99m-sestamibi (99mTc-MIBI) in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism on haemodialysis was assessed. We studied 33 patients with parathyroid scintigraphy with i.v. (99mTc-MIBI). Static images in a scintillation camera were taken at 15 and 120 min after the injection. With P x Ca<80, we performed an inhibition test with calcitriol i.v. 2 microg, three times a week, for 2 weeks. The MIBI study and assessment of intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) were performed before (baseline study) and after inhibition. A 'focal positive study' corresponded to one or more areas of abnormal hypercaptation in relation to surrounding thyroid tissue seen in early images and persisting in later images, and a 'negative study' did not correspond to the previous image. In the baseline study, iPTH in the positive MIBI group was significantly greater than in the negative group. Eight positive MIBI patients had a bone biopsy; six corresponded to severe osteitis fibrosa and two to mild osteitis fibrosa. In the negative MIBI group, four of the six patients who had bone biopsy had mild forms of osteitis fibrosa (Fisher=0.03); the other two had low turnover forms. A positive inhibition test was defined when the basal uptake disappeared after calcitriol administration. In these patients, we observed a significant decrease of iPTH, not observed in the negative inhibition test. In 10 patients who had been parathyroidectomized, those with alpha positive basal MIBI result had a nodular parathyroid hyperplasia. We conclude that a scintigraphic parathyroid study with 99mTc-MIBI showed a good correlation with functional parathyroid status. With the same inhibition test, only some glands were inhibited, suggesting that this could be the expression of different vitamin D receptor densities in inhibited glands and/or a different kind of proliferation in those glands. This test would be of value in functional studies when a therapeutic decision must be made.

Adult↗

Nephrology, dialysis and transplantation in Brazil.

The European Renal Association welcomes this opportunity and feels that European nephrologists should be informed about the state of nephrology in South America, with which particularly our Latin colleagues maintain close cultural relationships. The following report on Nephrology in Brazil is a welcome addition to a series of reports designed to provide to European nephrologists a global view of nephrology. It is hoped that this is not misconstrued as a violation of nephrological Monroe doctrine.

Acute Kidney Injury↗

Effects of thyroid hormone administration and estrogen deficiency on bone mass of female rats.

To investigate the effects of thyroxine (T4) administration on bone mass, five 81-day-old female rats were treated with T4 (25 microg of T4/100 g of body weight [bw]/day), and bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) 28 days later. The BMD values for the total skeleton, femoral, and tibial subsegments were lower than in controls (p < or = 0.05). The lumbar spine (L2-L5) was not significantly affected by T4 treatment. Next, thirty-seven 211 +/- 1.5 (mean +/- SEM)-day-old female rats were divided into six groups as follows: (1) control; (2) ovariectomized (OVX); (3) 1xT4 (approximately 1.0 microg of T4/100 g of bw/day; approximately physiological replacement dose); (4) OVX + 1xT4; (5) 2xT4 (approximately 2.0 microg of T4/100 g of bw/day); (6) OVX + 2xT4. DXA scans were performed at days 0 and 85. Control rats showed a generalized BMD increase, as opposed to a decrease in OVX rats. The trabecular bone volume of the fifth lumbar vertebra was also lower in OVX rats than in controls (p < 0.05). The 1xT4 treatment had no effect on BMD of intact rats, while treatment with 2xT4 impaired the expected BMD increase. Unexpectedly, the OVX + 1xT4 group presented a generalized BMD increase that was significant for the total skeleton, L2-L5, and femoral subsegments (p < 0.05), comparable to controls. Treating OVX animals with 2xT4 did not potentiate the osteopenic effects of estrogen deficiency, nor did it reverse the osteopenic effects of OVX. In conclusion, treatment with high doses of T4 caused BMD to decrease substantially, particularly at the femur, whereas near physiological doses of T4 prevented bone loss associated with OVX, and regardless of bone type (trabecular or cortical), the skeleton site seems to be a more important determinant of the effects of thyroid hormone on bone mass.

Animals↗

The role of experimental chronic renal failure and aluminium intoxication in cellular immune response.

BACKGROUND: A positive correlation between successful kidney transplantation, few rejection episodes, greater susceptibility to infection and morbidity in patients with high tissue levels of aluminium (Al) indicate that the metal may play a role in the immune response. The aim of this study was to determine if experimental aluminium intoxication could result in significant changes in lymphocyte activity in uraemic and nonuraemic rats. METHODS: Lewis rats were divided into four groups: normals (N), nephrectomized control (U), and Al-treated (N + Al) and nephrectomized Al-treated (U + Al), which received a cumulative dose of 30 mg Al over a 4-week period. Al quantification, histology, histochemical analysis and immunological assays were performed after Al intoxication. RESULTS: High tissue levels of Al and positive histochemical staining in bones were seen in Al-treated rats. Bone histology revealed osteomalacia in U + Al rats. No statistical differences were observed in mixed lymphocyte cultures from controls and Al-treated rats, whereas U and Al-treated rats showed a decrease in lymphoproliferative response to mitogen and natural killer cell cytotoxic activity. A decreased helper T lymphocyte: cytotoxic T lymphocyte cell ratio and a reduction in interleukin-2 production were observed only in the U + Al group. A reduced number of total T lymphocytes was detected in the spleens of all Al-treated rats. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that aluminium toxicity may contribute to immunological impairment in chronic renal failure.

Aluminum↗

Cranial versus iliac onlay bone grafts in the facial skeleton: a macroscopic and histomorphometric study.

We compared autologous bicortical ilial and cranial bone grafts onlaid to the facial skeleton in 60 adult New Zealand rabbits to evaluate the initial phase of incorporation of these grafts. The animals were distributed in two equal groups in which either cranial or iliac grafts were harvested and fixated, devoid of their periosteum, in direct contact with the nasal bone with micro screws. Each of these two groups were then subdivided into three groups, which corresponded to the three times the animals were killed: 18 days, 30 days, and 60 days. The grafts were measured in their linear dimensions and weighed before fixation and after harvesting when the animals were killed. Undecalcified histological sections were prepared, and histomorphometric parameters of bone formation (bone volume, osteoid volume, surface thickness, and osteoblastic surface) and resorption (osteoclastic surface and eroded surface) were measured. The results confirmed those of previous studies in that cortical grafts maintained their volumes to a greater extent than their cancellous counterparts indicating that the remodeling process may be uncoupled in the transplanted iliac grafts. It is postulated that the significant decrease in mechanical stimulus that the cancellous grafts undergo determines this imbalance in the remodeling activity, which results in greater bone resorption than formation and thus decreased volume.

Animals↗

Aluminium-related osteodystrophy and desferrioxamine treatment: role of phosphorus.

We investigated (1) the prevalence of aluminium overload among 96 patients with symptomatic bone disease haemodialysed from 1987 to 1989 in the Sao Paulo area, Brazil; (2) the effect of 6 months desferrioxamine (DFO) treatment (1-2g/week). All patients underwent a first bone biopsy. Aluminium overload (extent of stainable bone aluminium more than 20% trabecular surface) was observed in 74 of 96 patients. Forty overloaded patients were divided into patients with high bone formation rate (BFR) (group 1; n = 17) and patients with low BFR (group 2; n = 23), and had a second biopsy after DFO therapy. In both groups aluminium surface was reduced after treatment (P < 0.001), osteoblast surface (P < 0.02-P < 0.01) and plasma parathyroid hormone (iPTH) (P < 0.01) increased. In group 1 BFR remained high. In group 2 BFR remained low in 16 patients (2a) and increased in seven (P < 0.02) (2b). In group 2a plasma phosphorus was below that in group 2b patients, before (P < 0.03) and after (P < 0.01) DFO. The histological features of group 2a patients resembled hypophosphataemic osteomalacia, those of group 2b patients aluminium osteodystrophy. These data show a high prevalence of aluminium overload in Brazilian patients. Low-dose DFO therapy was safe, decreased bone pain, prevented fractures, and reduced stainable bone aluminium. Bone lesions only partially improved, suggesting that low phosphorus intake and/or plasma calcitriol concentrations may have prevented improvement of bone formation and mineralization.

Adolescent↗

Reversal of aluminum-related bone disease after renal transplantation.

We evaluated the course of severe aluminum-related bone disease (ARBD) after the first year of a successful renal transplantation (RTx) in 11 adult patients. Bone pain and muscle weakness, presented in all patients previously to RTx, subsided, and all were able to walk, even the ones who were confined to wheelchairs. Bone necrosis developed in 6 patients, but none required surgical repair. Serum alkaline phosphatase activity increased 2.5 times the upper normal level, up to the 5th month and then declined to normal levels up the 12th month (p < 0.05). The inverse profile was observed in both serum calcium and phosphorus levels. In bone biopsies, there was a significant decrease in all of the following histomorphometric static parameters: osteoid volume, thickness and surface and also in aluminum surface. Also, there was a significant increase in all the dynamic parameters of mineralization: mineral apposition rate, mineralization surface, bone formation rate and adjusted apposition rate. In conclusion, ARBD remarkably improves after 1 year of successful RTx.

Adult↗

Bone histomorphometry in Cushing's syndrome.

Bone involvement is a common finding in Cushing's syndrome. The actions of corticosteroids on bone have been studied quite intensively but only a few studies of bone histomorphometry in this syndrome have been published. In this paper we present histomorphometric measurements of bone activity in 7 patients with a postoperative reevaluation in two. The results show irregular alterations on histomorphometric parameters with an increased bone resorption and decreased bone formation rate. After surgery the abnormalities changed towards normal.

Adult↗

Facial leontiasis ossea: a rare presentation of hyperparathyroidism secondary to chronic renal insufficiency.

The term renal osteodystrophy is often used in a generic sense to include skeletal disorders of patients with chronic renal failure due to secondary hyperparathyroidism. The prevalence of this condition among patients on hemodialysis is considerably high. However, extreme forms such as facial leontiasis ossea are very rare, only 2 well-characterized cases having been reported thus far in the literature. In the present article we report the case of a female patient who developed hyperparathyroidism secondary to end-stage renal disease which was manifested as facial leontiasis ossea and culminated in dysphagia and respiratory difficulties caused by excess bone tissue growth.

Adult↗

Serum lipoprotein disturbances in primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism and effects of parathyroidectomy.

Serum lipoprotein disturbances were studied in 86 patients with primary (I), and 34 hemodialysis patients with severe secondary (II), hyperparathyroidism (HPTH) before and seven to 14 days after parathyroidectomy (PTx). In addition, a subset of patients had repeat studies more than 12 months after PTx. In patients with I as well as with II HPTH, mean +/- SEM fasting serum concentrations of total triglycerides (TG) (1.51 +/- 0.09 and 2.17 +/- 0.19 mmol/L, respectively) were significantly increased when compared with that of 22 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects (1.01 +/- 0.09 mmol/L, P less than .001). No consistent anomalies of serum total cholesterol and lipoprotein cholesterol content were observed in Io HPTH patients. In uremic II HPTH patients, the cholesterol content of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) was significantly (P less than .01) depressed, compared with normal subjects. In the short term, PTx normalized serum total TGs (P less than .001) in Io HPTH patients from 1.50 +/- 0.11 to 1.19 +/- 0.07 mmol/L seven days after PTx. The surgical correction of II HPTH in dialysis patients was also followed by an improvement of hypertriglyceridemia from 2.22 +/- 0.21 to 1.46 +/- 0.08 mmol/L and 1.46 +/- 0.09 mmol/L seven and 14 days, respectively, after PTx (P less than .01). Long-term follow-up after PTx shows clearly a persistent decrease in serum TG concentration in I HPTH patients (1.17 +/- 0.11 mmol/L), as well as in II HPTH patients (1.61 +/- 0.18 mmol/L), 12 months after PTx by comparison with values determined before PTx.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Female↗

Value of the 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate bone scan in renal osteodystrophy.

The value of radionuclide bone scanning in the diagnosis of renal osteodystrophy is still debated. In order to re-examine this issue, 25 uremic patients treated by intermittent hemodialysis underwent 99m-Technetium Methylene Diphosphonate (99mTc-MDP) bone scan. They were subdivided into three groups according to quantitative bone histology. Group 1 (N = 8) had pure dialysis osteomalacia, group 2 (N = 7) mixed lesions, and group 3 (N = 10) pure osteitis fibrosa. The scintigraphic studies were interpreted by means of a five point semi-quantitative scale. Using this quantification, all but one group 1 patients had decreased bone tracer uptake, and all patients of group 3 had an increased uptake (chi square test of Yates, P less than 0.001). Among patients of group 2, bone uptake was decreased in the three patients with clearly reduced mineralization front and moderate osteitis fibrosa, but it was increased in all patients with severe osteitis fibrosa and subnormal mineralization front. A quantitative analysis of regional tracer uptake into bone was performed in two patients: one of group 2 and one of group 3. The results obtained clearly corroborated the semi-quantitative findings. Thus, in hemodialysis patients with symptomatic bone disease, the 99mTc-MDP bone scan provides useful information for the differential diagnosis between dialysis-related osteomalacia and secondary hyperparathyroidism. In patients with mixed lesions, the importance of bone tracer uptake appears to depend on the extent of the mineralization front and on the intensity of osteitis fibrosa.

Adult↗

Hypercalciuria during experimental vitamin K deficiency in the rat.

Vitamin K promotes the formation of gamma-carboxylated glutamate (GLA) in several protein species. GLA residues have a high affinity for the Ca ion. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that experimental vitamin K deficiency in rats could induce changes in Ca metabolism. Vitamin K depletion, which was associated with a reduction in urinary GLA excretion, induced within 7 days a significant increase in cumulative urinary Ca excretion that persisted throughout the 21 days of study. The hypercalciuria of vitamin K-deficient rats was corrected on vitamin K supplementation. No concomitant changes were observed in intestinal Ca absorption determined by a balance technic or of skeletal resorption and apposition rates determined by bone histomorphometry. Plasma Ca, but not total protein concentration, of vitamin k-depleted rats showed a transient decrease at day 15 that disappeared at day 21. plasma sodium, phosphate and 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D concentration, and urinary phosphate, sodium, and creatinine excretion remained unchanged. In conclusion, vitamin k deficiency in the rat induced hypercalciuria that could be of renal origin. Its possible relationship to vitamin K-dependent renal GLA protein remains to be clarified.

1-Carboxyglutamic Acid↗

Does vitamin K excess induce ectopic calcifications in hemodialysis patients?

Vitamin K promotes the formation of gamma-carboxylated glutamic acid (Gla) residues within different protein classes such as vitamin K-dependent clotting factors, bone Gla-protein (BGP or osteocalcin), and atherocalcin. Gla-containing proteins have a high affinity for the Ca2+ ion. In addition to bone and atheromatous plaques they are also regularly found in ectopic calcifications, but not in uncalcified soft tissue. In the present study we investigate the possibility that vitamin K and BGP, in addition to previously recognized factors, may play a role in soft tissue calcification of chronic hemodialysis patients. Patients without radiovisible ectopic calcifications (group A) are compared to patients with such Ca deposits (group B). Both patient groups have comparable values of predialysis plasma Ca, P, alkaline phosphatases, parathyroid hormone (PTH) and 25 hydroxyvitamin D. The CaxP product is slightly higher in group B than in group A patients. Plasma vitamin K1 levels of group B patients are increased to more than twice the values observed in group A patients. Plasma BGP, even though not significantly different, shows a trend towards decreased levels in group B patients. A positive correlation exists between plasma vitamin K1 and BGP for patient group A alone, but not for group B alone. A correlation is also observed between plasma PTH and BGP (all patients) and between serum alkaline phosphatases and plasma BGP (all patients). Taken together, these results favor the hypothesis that in addition to an increased CaxP product a vitamin K excess may induce soft tissue calcification in hemodialysis patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

[Hyperparathyroidism secondary to renal insufficiency: anatomo-clinical relations and the potential role of an aluminum overload].

Severe secondary hyperparathyroidism is still observed at present in 5-10% of haemodialysis patients. It requires surgical correction. Fifty-eight haemodialysis patients had neck surgery and their 222 parathyroid glands analysed. The individual gland weight was comprised between 22 and 3880 mg (mean +/- SEM, 689 +/- 62 mg). Mean total parathyroid gland weight per patient was comprised between 2 and 3 g. Schematically, 4 types of gland architecture could be distinguished: diffuse hyperplasia alone; diffuse hyperplasia associated with incipient nodule formation; hyperplasia with pronounced nodule formation; and nodule formations alone. Total gland weight was significantly higher for the latter two histological forms than for the former suggesting transformation with time of pure hyperplasia to nodular hyperplasia. Patients with chronic pyelonephritis had a mean gland weight higher than that of patients with chronic glomerulonephritis (3308 +/- 498 mg versus 1824 +/- 358 mg, p less than 0.01). No relation was found between total gland weight and plasma calcium, phosphate or alkaline phosphatases. However, a weak relation existed between total gland weight and plasma immunoreactive parathyroid hormone. In addition, a negative relation was observed between highest prior plasma aluminium and gland weight when considering only patients with a gland weight less than 2000 mg. Parathyroid gland aluminium content was significantly higher in haemodialysis patients than in nonuraemic patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. A direct relation was found between parathyroid gland and bone aluminium. In conclusion, in haemodialysis patients with evolving hyperparathyroidism initially diffuse gland hyperplasia appears to be associated progressively with nodule formation. Circulating immunoreactive parathyroid hormone is positively related to total gland weight.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

Secondary hyperparathyroidism in chronic haemodialysis patients: a clinico-pathological study.

Fifty-eight patients on intermittent haemodialysis underwent parathyroidectomy because of severe secondary hyperparathyroidism. Mean individual parathyroid gland weight was 689 +/- 62 (SEM) mg. Mean total gland weight per patient was between two and three grams. Increasing nodule formation within hyperplastic glands appeared to develop with increasing time of duration of hyperparathyroidism. Patients with chronic pyelonephritis had a higher gland weight than those with chronic glomerulonephritis. A direct relationship was found between gland weight and circulating immunoreactive parathyroid hormone, but an inverse relationship between gland weight and plasma aluminium concentration. The higher the parathyroid gland aluminium, the higher was the bone aluminium concentration.

Adolescent↗