Effect of strontium ranelate on serum leptin and bone turnover markers in women with established postmenopausal osteoporosis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between leptin levels and bone mineral density (BMD) and bone metabolism markers in postmenopausal women taking strontium ranelate. STUDY DESIGN: In this longitudinal uncontrolled study, postmenopausal osteoporotic women were administered strontium ranelate and categorized into 1 of 2 groups: overweight and lean. BMD, serum leptin, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and urinary deoxypyridinoline (Dpd) were assessed at baseline, 6 and 12 months of the therapy. RESULTS: For all 47 women, leptin levels increased at the sixth month (p = 0.001) and 1 year after treatment (p = 0.001), Dpd levels decreased at the sixth month (p = 0.001) and 1 year after treatment (p = 0.003), but ALP levels did not change with respect to basal levels. Spine and hip BMD also increased at the end of 1 year (p = 0.01 and p = 0.001, respectively). For overweight women leptin levels increased 6 months and 1 year after treatment (p = 0.003 and p = 0.001, respectively). Dpd levels decreased significantly at the sixth month and at 1 year (p = 0.001 and p = 0.041), but ALP levels did not change. Hip and spine BMD also increased (p = 0.036 and p = 0.002). The lean group had similar serum results and BMD scores after treatment. CONCLUSION: Our data supports a positive effect of leptin on bone metabolism in favor of bone resorption inhibition in postmenopausal osteoporotic women on strontium treatment.

Prenatally diagnosed case of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome associated with pulmonary artery aneurysm.

Here, we report a new case with chromosome 22q11 deletion and cardiac anomaly diagnosed prenatally by echocardiography. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis demonstrated a heterozygous deletion at 22q11.2. Echocardiography revealed ventricular septal defect, pulmonary atresia, and aneurysm of the main pulmonary artery and its branches. Pulmonary artery aneurysm (PAA) is rarely seen in patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22qDS). In this case, PAA was found by prenatal echocardiographic examination at the 25th week of gestation. To date, no prenatally diagnosed case of 22qDS with PAA has been reported. This is the first 22qDS case with PAA that was detected prenatally by FISH analysis.

Strontium ranelate decreases plasma homocysteine levels in postmenopausal osteoporotic women.

We analyzed the effect of strontium ranelate treatment on plasma homocysteine (Hcy) levels in postmenopausal osteoporotic women. Forty-nine postmenopausal women diagnosed with osteoporosis with a mean age of 54.07 +/- 7.5 years (range 40-70) who visited our menopause clinic were participated in this prospective study. Patients with bone mineral density (BMD) at least 2.5 SD below the average value in young adults (T score < -2.5) were considered to have osteoporosis. Patients received strontium ranelate 2 g/day (Servier) orally with additional calcium supplements. Fasting plasma Hcy levels were assessed at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months of the therapy with strontium ranelate. The mean plasma Hcy level (10.45 micromol/l) after 3 months of therapy was significantly lower compared to the basal plasma Hcy level (12.61 micromol/l) (P = 0.002). The plasma homocysteine level (10.54 micromol/l) of the 43 patients that were present at the 6 months of the therapy was also significantly lower compared to the basal plasma Hcy level (P = 0.005). At the end of the 12 months of the study, there were 42 patients. The plasma homocysteine level (10.107 micromol/l) at 12 months of therapy was also significantly lower compared to the basal Hcy level (P < 0.001). Strontium ranelate 2 g/day treatment for 1 year significantly decreases plasma Hcy levels in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Since the increased Hcy levels could lead to an increase risk of osteoporosis and fracture risk, this effect of strontium ranelate on Hcy level may cause additional benefit in terms of reducing the risk of fracture.

Neurokinin B levels in maternal and umbilical cord blood in preeclamptic and normal pregnancies.

Neurokinin (NK) B has been recently demonstrated to be secreted by the placenta in preeclampsia suggesting it may modulate pathophysiological events of the disease. The aim of this study was to investigate whether NKB is the circulating factor associated with preeclampsia or not. In 22 preeclamptic and normotensive pregnant women, the peripheral and umbilical cord blood NKB levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. The NKB levels in women with preeclampsia were 0.70 (0.53-0.92) nmol/L in peripheral blood and 1.92 (1.42-2.35) nmol/L in umbilical cord blood. In normotensive pregnant women, NKB levels were 0.43 (0.29-0.61) nmol/L and 0.14 (0.07-0.33), respectively. Significantly higher levels of NKB were measured in preeclamptic women compared with normotensive pregnant women in umbilical cord blood. These results suggest that NKB enters both fetal and maternal circulation and may modulate fetoplacental hemodynamics.