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Quantitative ultrasound at the phalanges in a cohort of monozygotic twins of different ages

  • MUSCULOSKELETAL RADIOLOGY
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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of our study was to evaluate bone quality by quantitative ultrasound (QUS) at the phalanges in 129 monozygotic twin couples, outlining the differences between growing subjects and adults.

Materials and methods

A total of 129 healthy monozygotic twin couples (42 of children under 18 years of age and 87 of adults) were studied by phalangeal QUS, measuring amplitude-dependent speed of sound (AD-SoS) and bone transmission time (BTT). Anthropometric data were also recorded.

Results

In children AD-SoS and BTT were positively correlated with age (r = 0.91, r = 0.91), height (r = 0.88, r = 0.90) and weight (r = 0.81, r = 0.87); in adults AD-SoS was negatively related to age (r = −0.36), AD-SoS and BTT were positively related to height (r = 0.37, r = 0.58). Absolute value differences between twins for AD-SoS and BTT were significantly higher in adult twins (25.9 ± 21.9 for AD-SoS and 0.08 ± 0.08 for BTT) than in children (14.5 ± 12.4 for AD-SoS and 0.05 ± 0.04 for BTT).

Conclusion

Differentiation in bone tissue quality in twins increases with age, probably reflecting lifestyle, personal habits, likely acting through epigenetic mechanisms.

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Conflict of interest

Francesca De Terlizzi is employed by IGEA s.p.a Biophysics Lab. The other authors declare that they have no competing financial interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, University of Foggia, Viale Luigi Pinto 1, 71100, Foggia, Italy

    Giuseppe Guglielmi & Michelangelo Nasuto

  2. Department of Radiology, Scientific Institute Hospital “Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza”, Viale Cappuccini 1, 71013, San Giovanni Rotondo, FG, Italy

    Giuseppe Guglielmi

  3. Clinical Biophysics Laboratory, IGEA SpA, Modena, Italy

    Francesca De Terlizzi

  4. Mendel Laboratory, IRCCS “Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza”, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy

    Lorenzo Sinibaldi

  5. Policlinico Tor Vergata University Hospital, Rome, Italy

    Francesco Brancati

  6. Department of Medical, Oral and Technological Sciences, D’Annunzio University, Chieti, Italy

    Francesco Brancati

Authors
  1. Giuseppe Guglielmi
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  2. Francesca De Terlizzi
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  3. Michelangelo Nasuto
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  4. Lorenzo Sinibaldi
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  5. Francesco Brancati
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Correspondence to Giuseppe Guglielmi.

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Guglielmi, G., De Terlizzi, F., Nasuto, M. et al. Quantitative ultrasound at the phalanges in a cohort of monozygotic twins of different ages. Radiol med 120, 277–282 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11547-014-0440-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11547-014-0440-x

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