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Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) decreases total serum calcium by about 0.5 mg/dl in postmenopausal women with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). We investigated the ability of raloxifene, which has skeletal antiresorptive properties similar to those of ERT, to decrease serum calcium concentrations and markers of bone turnover in PHPT. Eighteen postmenopausal women with asymptomatic PHPT were randomized to 8 wk of raloxifene (60 mg/d) or placebo, followed by a 4-wk washout. At baseline, the groups were well matched. The calcium concentration decreased significantly by 8 wk of raloxifene administration (10.8 +/- 0.2 to 10.4 +/- 0.2 mg/dl; P < 0.05), as did markers of bone resorption and formation [osteocalcin, 11.4 +/- 1.6 to 9.9 +/- 1.6 nmol/liter (P < 0.05); serum N-telopeptide, 21.2 +/- 3.4 to 17.3 +/- 2.8 nmol bone collagen equivalents/liter (P < 0.05)]. Four weeks after raloxifene was discontinued, indices were indistinguishable from baseline. Raloxifene administration did not affect serum PTH, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, total alkaline phosphatase, or urinary calcium excretion. Calcium and bone marker changes were therefore similar to those observed with ERT in PHPT. This short-term study suggests that raloxifene may be a useful approach to the treatment of postmenopausal women with mild PHPT.

Objective Maternal anti-Ro autoantibodies associate with cardiac manifestations of neonatal lupus (cardiac NL), yet only 2% of women with this reactivity have an affected child. Identification of a more specific marker would channel intense monitoring to fetuses at greater risk. This study aims to determine whether autoantibodies against Ro52 amino acids 200–239 (p200) confer added risk over autoantibodies to full length Ro52, Ro60 or La. Methods/Results Anti-Ro-exposed pregnancies resulting in cardiac NL or no cardiac manifestations were identified from the Research Registry for Neonatal Lupus and PR Interval and Dexamethasone Evaluation. Umbilical cord (n=123) and maternal (n=115) samples were evaluated by ELISA. The frequencies of p200, Ro52, Ro60 and La autoantibodies were not significantly different between affected and unaffected children. However, neonatal anti-Ro52 and Ro60 titers were highest in cardiac NL and their unaffected siblings compared to unaffected neonates without a cardiac NL sibling. Although both maternal anti-Ro52 and p200 autoantibodies were less than 50% specific for cardiac NL, anti-p200 was the least likely of the Ro autoantibodies to be false positive in mothers who have never had an affected child. Titers of anti-Ro52 and p200 did not differ during a cardiac NL or unaffected pregnancy from the same mother. Conclusion Maternal reactivity to p200 does not confer an added risk to fetal conduction defects over full length Ro52 or Ro60 autoantibodies. Mothers who may never be at risk for having an affected child have lower anti-Ro60 titers and may require less stringent echocardiographic monitoring compared to women with high titer autoantibodies.

SUMMARYIn this study, a finite element model of a tissue-mimicking, viscoelastic phantom with a stiffer cylindrical inclusion subjected to an acoustic radiation force (ARF) is presented, and the resulting shear waves through the heterogeneous media are simulated, analyzed, and compared with experimental data. Six different models for the ARF were considered and compared. Each study used the same finite element model, but applied the following: (1) full radiation push; (2) focal region push; (3) single element focal point source; or (4) various thresholds of the full radiation push. For each case, displacements at discrete locations were determined and compared. The finite element simulation results for the full radiation push matched well with the experimental data with respect to replicating the shear wave speed and attenuation in the peak displacements through the background medium and inclusion, but did not illustrate comparable recovery after the peak displacements. As a result of this study, it has been shown that a focal region or point source push is not adequate to accurately model the effects of the full radiation push, but thresholding the full push can produce comparable results and reduce computation time.