Biomedical subjects

V L Star

Publications and source records attributed to V L Star.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1996

Validity of self-reported rheumatoid arthritis in elderly women.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the validity of a self-reported physician diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in elderly women. METHODS: Women with self-reported RA were contacted and permission requested to contact their physician. Physicians were mailed a questionnaire requesting information on the subject's arthritic condition. Hand radiographs obtained at study entry were read for changes of RA. RESULTS: The self-reported diagnosis of RA could be confirmed in 26 (21%) individuals. CONCLUSION: The positive predictive value of self-reported RA was low in this cohort. Caution needs to be exercised in the use and interpretation of self-report data concerning arthritic conditions in epidemiologic studies.

Aged↗

PubMed1995

Rheumatoid arthritis and bone mineral density in elderly women. The Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Research Group.

Previous studies have suggested that women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have decreased bone mineral density (BMD) in both the appendicular and axial skeleton. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the association of RA and BMD from a community-based sample of ambulatory Caucasian women age 65 and over. BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at the hip and lumbar spine and by single photon absorptiometry (SPA) at the distal radius and calcaneus. Study subjects included 120 postmenopausal women with RA who were further classified according to corticosteroid use, i.e., never users, current users, and ex-users, and 7966 age-similar controls. Elderly women with RA had a lower age-adjusted bone density of the distal radius, calcaneus, hip, and lumbar spine. Women with RA who were current users of steroids had the lowest BMD at both appendicular sites and at the hip, but those who never used steroids also had a significantly decreased BMD at all sites. The BMD of women with RA who had never used steroids remained significantly decreased at the distal radius, calcaneus, and hip after adjustment for age, BMD determinants, and functional outcomes of RA. Functional outcomes of RA largely accounted for the lower BMD of women who were currently using steroids. Women with RA have lower appendicular and axial bone mass that is not attributable to the use of steroids. Those currently taking steroids have even lower appendicular and axial bone mass that may reflect their poorer functional outcome and is likely to increase the risk of fractures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed1994

Osteoporosis in patients with rheumatic diseases.

Arthritis and other musculoskeletal disorders are common causes of disability in the United States. Osteoporosis is the major nonarthritic musculoskeletal condition affecting postmenopausal women. An increased incidence of osteoporosis is seen in some rheumatic diseases resulting in a potential increase in risk of fracture. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthropathies appear to have decreased bone mineral density whereas patients with osteoarthritis of the hip have increased bone mineral density. In this article studies of bone mass and related fractures in patients with rheumatic disorders are reviewed.

Aged↗

PubMed1993

Prevention and management of gout.

Gout is a common disease with a worldwide distribution. The major risk factor for the development of gout is sustained asymptomatic hyperuricaemia. Although pharmacological therapy of asymptomatic hyperuricaemia is not recommended, primary prevention of gout can be achieved through lifestyle changes including weight loss, restricting protein and calorie intake, limiting alcohol consumption, avoiding the use of diuretics in the treatment of hypertension, and avoiding occupational exposure to lead. The arthritis of gout can be readily managed with the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); systemic steroids or corticotrophin (adrenocorticotrophic hormone; ACTH) should be used in patients with contraindications to NSAIDs, or who are intolerant of them. Because of potential toxicity, colchicine should not be used to treat acute gout, but should be used in low dosage (0.6 to 1.2 mg/day) for prophylaxis of recurrent attacks of gout. The other cornerstone of prevention of recurrent gouty attacks is control of hyperuricaemia, which can be effectively accomplished with antihyperuricaemic therapy. The choice of agents, either uricosuric drugs or xanthine oxidase inhibitors, is based on the level of urinary uric acid excretion, renal function, age of patient, history of renal calculi and presence of tophi. Treatment and prevention of gout are exceedingly effective and patients can usually be managed by their primary care physician.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1986

Basement membrane complexes with biological activity.

We have studied the reconstitution of basement membrane molecules from extracts prepared from the basement membrane of the EHS tumor. Under physiological conditions and in the presence of added type IV collagen and heparan sulfate proteoglycan, gellike structures form whose ultrastructure appears as interconnected thin sheets resembling the lamina dense zone of basement membrane. The major components of the reconstituted structures include laminin, type IV collagen, heparan sulfate proteoglycan, entactin, and nidogen. These components polymerize in constant proportions on reconstitution, suggesting that they interact in defined proportions. Molecular sieve studies on the soluble extract demonstrate that laminin, entactin, and nidogen are associated in large but dissociable complexes which may be a necessary intermediate in the deposition of basement membrane. The reconstituted matrix was biologically active and stimulated the growth and differentiation of certain cells.

Animals↗

PubMed1983

Reduced synthesis of basement membrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

In diabetes, certain basement membranes become thicker yet more porous than normal. To identify possible changes in the basement membrane, we have grown the Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm tumor, a tissue that produces quantities of basement membrane in normal mice and in streptozotocin-treated, insulin-deficient, diabetic mice. The level of laminin, a basement membrane-specific glycoprotein, and the level of total protein were slightly elevated in the diabetic tissue. In contrast, the level of the basement membrane specific heparan sulfate proteoglycan was only 20% of control. The synthesis of this proteoglycan was also reduced in the diabetic animals, while the synthesis of other proteoglycans by tissues such as cartilage was normal. The synthesis of the heparan sulfate proteoglycan in diabetic animals was inversely related to plasma glucose levels showing an abrupt decrease above the normal range of plasma glucose. Insulin restored synthesis to normal but this required doses of insulin that maintained plasma glucose at normal levels for several hours. Since the heparan sulfate proteoglycan in the basement membrane restricts passage of proteins, its absence could account for the increased porosity of basement membrane in diabetes. A compensatory synthesis of other components could lead to their increased deposition and the accumulation of basement membrane in diabetes.

Animals↗