Étude comparative de l’efficacité et de la tolérance de l’étidronate et de l’alendronate au cours de l’ostéoporose postménopausique. Influence de l’adjonction d’un traitement hormonal substitutif

Objectives. To compare the efficacy and safety of etidronate and alendronate in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis and to assess the efficacy of either bisphosphonate in combination with hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Patients and methods. In this pragmatic study, the main efficacy criterion was the mean annual change in bone mineral density (BMD). Patients who had a past or current history of etidronate or alendronate treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis with at least 18 months follow-up and an evaluation in 1999 were eligible. Recruitment was in an outpatient clinic with a special focus on metabolic bone diseases. Osteoporosis was defined as at least one low-energy fracture or as a lumbar spine or femoral neck BMD decrease to at least 2.5 SD below the mean in young women. HRT was not an exclusion criterion provided treatment duration was longer than one year. Etidronate was given cyclically (14-day courses in a dosage of 400 mg/d separated by 76-day intervals with calcium and vitamin D supplementation) and alendronate was given daily in a dosage of 10 mg/day. Results. Of the 99 patients who met our inclusion criteria, 53 received etidronate (including 23 on HRT) and 46 alendronate (18 on HRT). Repeat BMD measurements were obtained in 88 patients, including 11 who stopped their bisphosphonate therapy within the first year of use because of adverse events. Lumbar spine BMD (mean ±SD) increased significantly both in the etidronate group (+2.1%±0.7%/year) and in the alendronate group (+5.3%±0.9%/year). The increase was significantly greater with alendronate (P<0.01). The lumbar spine BMD increase was largest in the patients on alendronate and HRT (+6.5%±1.4%/year) and was smallest (and nonsignificant) in the patients on etidronate without HRT (+1.2%±0.8%). Femoral neck BMD showed no significant changes in any group. In the intention-to-treat analysis, fractures occurred in 12 etidronate patients (22.6%) and six (13.0%) alendronate patients (nonsignificant). Adverse events requiring bisphosphonate discontinuation before the scheduled date of the follow-up BMD measurement occurred in one patient (1.9%) in the etidronate group (generalized osteomalacia) and in ten patients (21.7%) in the alendronate group (upper or lower gastrointestinal tract symptoms in six and four patients, respectively; P<0.01). Conclusion. Both etidronate and alendronate significantly increased lumbar BMD, but the effect was significantly more marked with alendronate. Conversely, adverse effects, most notably gastrointestinal symptoms, were more common with alendronate, so that premature treatment discontinuation because of adverse events were more common in the alendronate group. Both differences should be taken into account when selecting the best drug for a patient with postmenopausal osteoporosis.     

L’incidence de l’IRCT en 2011

This chapter provides a set of indicators on incident patients with renal replacement therapy. In 2011, in 25 French regions (99% population), 9 248 patients started a treatment by dialysis (incidence of dialysis: 149 per million inhabitants) and 334 patients with a pre-emptive graft without previous dialysis (incidence of pre-emptive graft: 5 per million inhabitants). One patient among two are over 70 years old at renal replacement therapy initiation. As in 2010, incidence rate seems to stabilize.     

Évaluation de la reproductibilité et de la validité de construit d’une forme modifiée de l’indice algofonctionnel de Lequesne dans l’arthrose du genou

Objectives. – To assess the test-retest reliability and the construct validity of a modified version of the Lequesne index.Methods. – Patients with symptomatic knee osteo-arthritis fulfilling the revised criteria of the american college of rheumatology completed the Lequesne index twice at a 3 h interval. Impairment outcome measures and patients’ perceived discomfort in walking and handicap were recorded. An item by item analysis was performed. Items having insufficient psychometric properties were excluded. Test-retest reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the Bland and Altman method. Construct validity was investigated using Spearman rank correlation coefficient and a factor analysis was performed.Results. – Eighty-eight patients were included. One question assessing pain (question IE) had a weak reliability (Kappa = 0.39) and was excluded. The test-retest reliability of the modified questionnaire was excellent (ICC = 0.95). Expected convergent and divergent correlations were achieved excepted for Vas pain and Vas handicap (0.46 and 0.40 respectively), and the “a priori” double stratification was confirmed by factor analysis, explaining 48.7% of the variance.Conclusion. – The modified form of the Lequesne index has sufficient psychometric properties to be used to assess pain and function in knee osteo-arthritis in a french population.     

Profil hormonal chez l’homme en cas d’infertilité au laboratoire de radio immunologie de l’institut des radioisotopes de Niamey

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to determine the sociodemographic parameters and hormonal profile of infertile man.Patients and methodsWe included in our study, all patients presenting with infertility dating back at least two years, with abnormal semen analysis. These patients came to radio immunological laboratory assays for determination of FSH, LH, PRL and testosterone in the assessment of infertility.ResultsThe age of the patients ranged from 25 years to 64 years with an average age of 44.5 years. Employees are the most represented with a frequency of 63.93%, with 54.41% had consulted a primary infertility, followed by traders in 15.63% and 70% for primary infertility. The hormonal assessment was abnormal in 86% of cases (55/64). A rise in FSH was observed in 36% of patients, the LH was elevated in 31.25% of patients, 48.44% in PRL. 12 patients (18.75%) had low testosterone Among the endocrinopathies suspected, the hypogonadism hypergonadotrophic is the most represented with a frequency of 32.8%, testicular deficiencies are found in 12.5% of cases, hypogonadism hypogonadotrophic in 10.93% of cases, hyperprolactinemia isolated in 18.75% of cases and obstructive causes in 14 04% of cases.ConclusionThere are many endocrinopathies that can induce male infertility. They can be congenital or acquired and can concern several stages, hypothalamus, pituitary and testis. It's important to diagnose thoses endocrinopathies, because some of them are accessible to treatment.