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Objectives: This study aimed to assess the relationship between bone mineral density, fragility fractures, fracture risk and polymorphisms of two osteoporosis-candidate genes (GGPS1 and RANKL) in Romanian women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Methods: An analytical, prospective, transversal, observational, case-control study on 364 postmenopausal women, of which 228 were previously diagnosed with osteoporosis, was carried out between June 2016 and August 2017 in Cluj Napoca, Romania. Clinical data and blood samples were collected from all study participants. Polymorphisms in GGPS1 and RANKL genes were genotyped using TaqMan SNP Genotyping assays, run on a QuantStudio 3 real-time PCR machine. Results: The CT genotype in GGPS1 rs10925503 was associated with significant lower bone mineral density values at lumbar spine and femoral neck sites and a higher fracture risk compared to controls. No significant association was found between genotypes of RANKL rs2277439 with bone mineral density or fracture risk compared to the healthy controls. Conclusions: Our study showed a strong association between low bone mineral density and genotype CT of GGPS1 rs10925503 polymorphisms. No association was found for RANKL rs2277439 polymorphism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Osteoporosis has a strong genetic contribution, and several genes have been shown to influence bone mineral density. Variants in the human genome are considered important causes of differences in drug responses observed in clinical practice. In terms of bone mineral density, about 26-53% of patients do not respond to amino-bisphosphonate therapies, of which alendronate is the most widely used. Material and method: The current study is prospective, observational, analytical, longitudinal and cohort type. It included 25 postmenopausal women treated with alendronate for 1 year. Bone mineral density at lumbar spine and proximal femur was measured and bone turnover markers (C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen and procollagen 1N-terminal propeptide) were evaluated at 0 and 12 months of treatment. Six single nucleotide polymorphisms in osteoporosis-candidate genes were genotyped (FDPS rs2297480, LRP5 rs3736228, SOST rs1234612, VKORC1 rs9934438, GGPS1 rs10925503 and RANKL rs2277439). Treatment response was evaluated by percentage changes in bone mineral density and bone turnover markers. Results: The heterozygous CT of FDPS rs2297480 showed lower increases in BMD values in the lumbar spine region and the homozygous CC of the GGPS1 rs10925503 showed lower increases in terms of BMD at the total hip region. No association was found for LRP5 rs3736228, SOST rs1234612, VKORC1 rs9934438 and RANKL rs2277439. Conclusions: Romanian postmenopausal women with osteoporosis carrying the CT genotype of FDPS rs2297480 or the CC genotype of GGPS1 rs10925503 could have an unsatisfactory response to alendronate treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asthma is defined by The Initiative for Asthma (GINA 2018) as a heterogeneous disease, which include chronic airway inflammation and a history of respiratory symptoms. In the last decades asthma had a rise in prevalence, becoming one of the most frequent diagnosed diseases in the world. The main goals of asthma management are to achieve good symptom control, minimize the risks of exacerbations, decrease rescue medication intake, improve the quality of life by decreasing respiratory system inflammation and ameliorating the patient's lung function. Beside effective medications, asthma continues to impair quality of life for most patients. Due to the difficulty of controlling symptoms and exacerbations, the need of developing complementary options of treatment is increasing in order to achieve an optimum control and a lower risk of acute episodes or fatal events. Pulmonary rehabilitation is suggested for asthma patients when adequate medical therapy poorly control the symptoms and mental, physical or social consequences of illness persist during the daily life. The following non-drug therapy components are included in the rehabilitation program: physical training, comprehensive smoking cessation program, comprehensive patient education, respiratory physiotherapy, psychosocial support and comprehensive nutritional counseling. These complementary therapies have been proven to improve muscle strength, exercise capacity and symptomatology. Also, it has been associated to fewer exacerbations and a lower use of rescue medication, leading to a better quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]