Serum osteocalcin concentration as an independent biomarker of osteoporosis in patients with chronic kidney disease.

OBJECTIVES: Osteocalcin, an osteoblast-derived hormone, is associated with the development of osteoporosis and arteriosclerosis in the general population. However, its role on the pathogenesis of osteoporosis and vascular calcification in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is unclear. Here, we investigated the connection between osteocalcin, bone mineral density (BMD), and abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) in CKD patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 95 patients with stage 2 to stage 5 CKD were enrolled. Serum osteocalcin levels were measured using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. BMD was determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and AAC scores were generated from lateral lumbar radiograph findings. RESULTS: 95 patients were assigned into normal bone density (30.5%, n = 29), osteopenia (45.3%, n = 43), and osteoporosis (24.2%, n = 23) groups. The osteoporosis group was characterized by older age, higher female-to-male ratio, phosphorous levels, calcification scores, osteocalcin levels, and intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, while with lower hemoglobin levels as compared to normal and osteopenia groups. Multivariate multinominal regression analysis showed age, female sex, intact PTH, and serum osteocalcin level were independent determinants of osteoporosis severity in CKD patients. Furthermore, serum osteocalcin level is positively correlated to intact PTH in multivariate linear regression model, indicating that osteocalcin might be a bone turnover marker in patients with CKD. Multivariate stepwise linear regression analysis revealed that age, diabetes mellitus, poorer renal function, rather than osteocalcin, have independent associations with AAC score. CONCLUSION: Elevated serum osteocalcin levels could be considered as a marker of osteoporosis rather than that of vascular calcification in patients with CKD.

FRAX® Fracture Risks Are Associated with Coronary Artery Calcification Score.

PURPOSE: To examine the association between fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX) scores and coronary artery calcification (CAC) score in adults. METHODS: The medical records of 81 adults who underwent both coronary computed tomography and bone mineral density (BMD) studies in a package during their health exams were reviewed at a regional hospital in Southern Taiwan. Data collected included health history, anthropomorphic characteristics, clinical laboratory results, and BMD. Fracture risk was determined using FRAX. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analysis were used to assess the association between CAC score and 10-year probability of hip fracture (HF) and major osteoporotic fracture (MOF) determined by FRAX. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 55.8 years, and 63.0% were male. Univariate linear regression analysis showed that increases in MOF and HF risks, as measured by FRAX, were significantly and positively associated with CAC score. Multiple linear regression analysis adjusting for potential confounders showed that CAC score remained significantly associated with four FRAX indicators, including right MOF (r = 0.45, P < 0.001), left MOF (r = 0.31, P = 0.021), right HF (r = 0.38, P = 0.001), and left HF (r = 0.23, P = 0.049). CONCLUSIONS: Increased risks of MOF and HF as determined by FRAX were significantly and independently associated with CAC score.

TBS Predict Coronary Artery Calcification in Adults.

PURPOSE: This study analyzes the association between the bony microarchitecture score (trabecular bone score, TBS) and coronary artery calcification (CAC) in adults undergoing health exams. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively collected subjects (N = 81) who underwent coronary computed tomography and bone mineral density studies simultaneously. CAC was categorized to three levels (Group 0, G0, no CAC, score = 0, N = 45; Group 1, G1, moderate CAC, score = 1-100, N = 17; Group 2, G2, high CAC, score ≧ 101, N = 19). Multinomial logistic regression was used to study the association between TBS and CAC levels. RESULTS: CAC is present in 44.4% of the population. Mean TBS ± SD was 1.399 ± 0.090. Per 1 SD increase in TBS, the unadjusted odds ratio (2.393) of moderate CAC compared with no CAC was significantly increased (95% CI, 1.219-4.696, p = 0.011). However, there has been no association of TBS with high CAC (OR: 1.026, 95% CI: 0.586-1.797, p = 0.928). These relationships also existed when individually adjusted for age, sex, and multiple other covariates. CONCLUSIONS: Higher TBS was related to moderate CAC, but not high CAC; a possible explanation may be that bone microarchitecture remodeling becomes more active when early coronary artery calcification occurs. However, further researches are needed to clarify this pathophysiology.

Characterization of the major histopathological components of thyroid nodules using sonographic textural features for clinical diagnosis and management.

In this study, the characteristic sonographic textural feature that represents the major histopathologic components of the thyroid nodules was objectively quantified to facilitate clinical diagnosis and management. A total of 157 regions-of-interest thyroid ultrasound image was recruited in the study. The sonographic system used was the GE LOGIQ 700), (General Electric Healthcare, Chalfant St. Giles, UK). The parameters affecting image acquisition were kept in the same condition for all lesions. Commonly used texture analysis methods were applied to characterize thyroid ultrasound images. Image features were classified according to the corresponding pathologic findings. To estimate their relevance and performance to classification, ReliefF was used as a feature selector. Among the various textural features, the sum average value derived from co-occurrence matrix can well reflect echogenicity and can effectively differentiate between follicles and fibrosis base thyroid nodules. Fibrosis shows lowest echogenicity and lowest difference sum average value. Enlarged follicles show highest echogenicity and difference sum average values. Papillary cancer or follicular tumors show the difference sum average values and echogenicity between. The rule of thumb for the echogenicity is that the more follicles are mixed in, the higher the echo of the follicular tumor and papillary cancer will be and vice versa for fibrosis mixed. Areas with intermediate and lower echo should address the possibility of follicular or papillary neoplasm mixed with either follicles or fibrosis. These areas provide more cellular information for ultrasound guided aspiration