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Background/Aims@#Patients with achalasia-related esophageal motility disorders (AEMDs) frequently present with dilated and sigmoid esophagus, anddevelop esophageal diverticulum (ED), although the prevalence and patients characteristics require further elucidation. @*Methods@#We conducted a multicenter cohort study of 3707 patients with AEMDs from 14 facilities in Japan. Esophagography on 3682 patients were analyzed. @*Results@#Straight (n = 2798), sigmoid (n = 684), and advanced sigmoid esophagus (n = 200) were diagnosed. Multivariate analysis revealed that long disease duration, advanced age, obesity, and type I achalasia correlate positively, whereas severe symptoms and integrated relaxation pressure correlate negatively with development of sigmoid esophagus. In contrast, Grade II dilation (3.5-6.0 cm) was the most common (52.9%), while grade III dilation (≥ 6 cm) was rare (5.0%). We found early onset, male, obesity, and type I achalasia correlated positively, while advanced age correlated negatively with esophageal dilation. Dilated and sigmoid esophagus were found mostly in types I and II achalasia, but typically not found in spastic disorders. The prevalence of ED was low (n = 63, 1.7%), and non-dilated esophagus and advanced age correlated with ED development. Patients with right-sided ED (n = 35) had a long disease duration (P = 0.005) with low integrated relaxation pressure values (P = 0.008) compared with patients with left-sided ED (n = 22). Patients with multiple EDs (n = 6) had lower symptom severity than patients with a single ED (P = 0.022). @*Conclusions@#The etiologies of dilated esophagus, sigmoid esophagus, and ED are considered multifactorial and different. Early diagnosis and optimal treatment of AEMDs are necessary to prevent these conditions.
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Objectives@#The purpose of this study is to investigate the stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in adenine-induced CKD model rats by serum analyses, and to examine bone mineral density (BMD), bone strength, and microstructure of trabecular and cortical bone in these rats. @*Methods@#Eight-week-old, male Wistar rats (n = 42) were divided into 2 groups: those fed a 0.75% adenine diet for 4 weeks until 12 weeks of age to generate CKD model rats (CKD group); and sham rats. The CKD and sham groups were sacrificed at 12, 16, and 20 weeks of age (n = 7 in each group and at 12, 16, and 20 weeks), and various parameters were evaluated, including body weight, renal wet weight, muscle wet weight, renal histology, biochemical tests, BMD, biomechanical testing, and micro-computed tomography (CT). The parameters were compared between the 2 groups at the various time points. @*Results@#In the CKD model rats, at 20 weeks of age, serum creatinine, phosphorus, and intact-PTH levels were elevated, and serum calcium levels were normal, indicating that the CKD was stage IV and associated with secondary hyperparathyroidism. Decreased BMDs of the whole body and the femur were observed as bone changes, and micro-CT analysis showed deterioration of bone microstructure of the cortical bone that resulted in decreased bone strength in the cortical and trabecular bone. @*Conclusions@#These CKD model rats showed stage IV CKD and appear appropriate for evaluating the effects of several treatments for CKD-related osteoporosis and mineral bone disorder.
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STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective and comparative study. PURPOSE: We assessed surgical treatment outcomes in patients with thoracic myelopathy due to ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF), and OLF combined with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) or vertebral fracture (VF) at the same level. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: OLF and OPLL cause severe thoracic myelopathy. Osteoporotic VF commonly occurs at the thoracolumbar junction. There have been no investigations of thoracic myelopathy due to OLF and VF. METHODS: Forty patients were divided among three groups: the OLF group (n=23): myelopathy due to OLF, the OLF+OPLL group (n=12): myelopathy due to OLF and OPLL, and the OLF+VF group (n=5): myelopathy due to OLF and VF. We recorded OLF, OPLL, and VF sites and operative procedures. Each patient’s neurological status, according to the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, and walking ability were evaluated pre- and postoperatively. RESULTS: Patients in the OLF+OPLL group were significantly younger than those in the other two groups. The preoperative JOA score was significantly lower in the OLF+VF than OLF group. The final JOA score was significantly lower in the OLF+VF than OLF and OLF+OPLL groups. The JOA score recovery rate was significantly lower in the OLF+VF than OLF group. Final walking ability was significantly worse in the OLF+OPLL and OLF+VF groups than in the OLF group and significantly worse in the OLF+VF than OLF+OPLL group. CONCLUSIONS: Thoracic myelopathy due to OLF+VF occurs primarily in older females, who also exhibit worse preoperative and postoperative neurological status, and worse walking ability, than patients with thoracic myelopathy due to OLF or OLF+OPLL.
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OBJECTIVES: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by chronic inflammation of the synovium, progressive erosion of the articular cartilage, and joint destruction. RA also causes secondary osteoporosis and muscle wasting. We investigated the effects of ibandronate (IBN), a bisphosphonate; eldecalcitol (ELD), an active vitamin D3 derivative; and combination treatment with both agents on secondary osteoporosis and muscle wasting using adjuvant-induced arthritis rats. METHODS: Arthritis was induced in 8-week-old male Lewis rats. Rats were randomized into 4 treatment groups and an untreated normal control group: IBN (subcutaneously, once every 2 weeks, 10 µg/kg), ELD (orally, once daily, 30 ng/kg/day), IBN + ELD, vehicle, and control. Paw thickness measurements were performed for evaluation of arthritis. The femur was scanned using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Cross-sectional areas of left tibialis and anterior muscle fibers and the expression of MuRF1, atrogin-1, MyoD, and myogenin in the gastrocnemius muscle were measured to evaluate muscle wasting. RESULTS: IBN and/or ELD increased bone mineral density (BMD) in the femur. In addition, there was an additive effect of combination treatment compared with single treatments for BMD. However, IBN and/or ELD did not inhibit muscle wasting in adjuvant-induced arthritis rats. CONCLUSIONS: Combination treatment with IBN and ELD may be effective for secondary osteoporosis associated with RA. Other treatments are necessary for muscle wasting associated with RA. Studies in humans are needed to confirm these findings.