Lactose intolerance: a risk factor for reduced bone mineral density and vertebral fractures?
Individuals with lactose intolerance verified by the hydrogen breath test appear not to be at risk for accelerated bone loss. Nevertheless, a relationship between vertebral fractures and an apparent lactose intolerance cannot be excluded, as a few individuals with severe lactose intolerance had a large number of vertebral fractures.
The data indicate that induction of apoptosis in synoviocytes might be dependent on transit through the cell cycle, specifically through G2 and mitosis. Further, paclitaxel was selectively toxic to proliferating synoviocytes but spared nonproliferating synoviocytes and chondrocytes. These results demonstrate that paclitaxel can inhibit synovial cell proliferation and pannus formation in RA joints in vivo. We suggest that paclitaxel be considered as a prototypical compound for a new class of potential chondroprotective agents.