Hippokratia
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Gaucher disease (GD) is a lysosomal storage disorder characterized by severe skeletal complications. Bone complications are an important cause of morbidity of GD and are thought to result from imbalance in bone remodeling. The objective of this case series was to analyze the long-term effect of enzyme replacement therapy on chemokines MIP-1a and MIP-1b, cytokines IL-3, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-12, osteoprotegerin (OPG) and osteocalcin (BGP), chitotriosidase, quantitative ultrasound sonography (QUS), bone magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in patients with GD in Northern Greece. In addition, the study aimed in investigating possible relationship between the above mentioned parameters. ⋯ Measurement of serum markers in patients with GD under ERT could be used as an auxiliary tool in the monitoring of bone involvement, in combination with MRI imaging and BMD. However, larger studies involving higher numbers of GD patients are needed to confirm these conclusions. Hippokratia 2016, 20(2): 153-159.
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Capsule endoscopy (CE) remains the examination of choice for the investigation of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. Although the factors predicting positive CE findings in the overall obscure gastrointestinal bleeding have been investigated, the clinical characteristics that predict a positive CE in patients with past overt obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OOGIB) have not been systematically studied. ⋯ Certain clinical characteristics predict a positive CE in patients with past OOGIB. Patients with OOGIB and negative CE had a considerably lower rebleeding rate, and further invasive investigational procedures may be adjourned or may not be required, though such recommendation warrants further validation. Hippokratia 2016, 20(2): 127-132.
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Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignant neoplastic diseases in men. Early control of the disease progression contributes significantly to survival rates and patients' quality of life. Osteoprotegerin is a dimeric glycoprotein, which affects bone metabolism and inhibits osteoclastogenesis. In the present study, we evaluated the expression of osteoprotegerin in the serum of prostate cancer patients with or without skeletal metastases. ⋯ It seems that elevated levels of serum osteoprotegerin in patients with prostate cancer reflect the bone metastatic extent and may potentially be used in metastatic patients' follow-ups. Hippokratia 2016, 20(2): 133-138.