| dc.description.abstract | Rarer insights from rarer microscopies in the study of the rare bone disease AKU. Thurs Oct 16th 2014 Rare bone diseases meeting Stockholm A. Boyde, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK L.R. Ranganath & J.A. Gallagher, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK a.boyde@qmul.ac.uk We have conducted 3D microscopic studies of surgical retrieval tissue from alkaptonuria (AKU) patients, who develop severe forms of osteoarthritis (OA). The methods used include serial sectioning of decalcified material, but more importantly, methods which avoid any risk of decacification or deformation by physical sectioning. We group these methods together under the heading block or block-face microscopy. These include BSE SEM, CSLM and dynamic aperture microscopy and x-ray microtomography. We discovered marked peculiarities in AKUbone and later looked to see if some of these were replicated in non-AKU OA - and they were. These include trabecular excrescences and hyperdense mineralised protrusions (HDMPs) from the tidemark mineralising front in articular calcified cartilage. Thus the rare disease AKU gives insights into disease mechanisms and consequences in a very common disease, OA. At QMUL, we are proud of the fact that the main medical school building at the old London Hospital Medical College of the new Barts' and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry was renamed after the man who put the genetic disease AKU on the map, Archibald Garrod. | en_US |
