Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2009

Mentor: Ugis Gruntmanis
Department: Medicine/Endocrinology
Room number: Y5, 322B
Mail Code: 8857
Phone number: 214-648-2215
E-mail: ugis.gruntmanis@utsouthwestern.edu
Project title:

1. Retrospective database analysis on efficacy of alendronate and zolodronic acid in treatment of male osteoporosis. #07-056

2. Post US approval voluntary registry study to determine incidence of
hypocalcemia post zoledronic acid treatment in patients with Paget's disease.
3. Prevalence of secondary causes of osteoporosis in male patients with osteoporosis.

Project Type All of the projects are patient oriented.

Brief Description of Project:
1. This project is to find prevalance of vitamin D deficiency, hypogonadism, hypo/hypercalciuria in men with decreased bone mineral density.
2. Alendronate (Fosomax) is FDA approved treatment for male osteoporosis, zolodronic acid (Zometa) once a year is used in patients who can not tolerate oral treatment yet is not FDA approved treatment. We will compare changes in bone mineral density with alendronate and zolodronic acid.
3. Hypocalcemia has been described after infusion of zoledronic acid for osteoporosis or Padget's disease yet frequency of this side-effect has not been systematically studied.
This study will strive to answer this question.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:

1.Gruntmanis U, Leach B, Odvina CV, Zerwekh JE, Sakhaee K High Rate of Hypogonadism and Vitamin D Insufficiency in Males on Dialysis. J Bone Miner Res. 2005; 20 (suppl 1): M468

2. Kaloyanova P, Patel V, Ghayee H, Gruntmanis U. No Difference in Prevalence of Pituitary Imaging Abnormalities in Secondary Hypogonadal Men Presenting with Osteoporosis versus Erectile Dysfunction. Presented at 88th Endocrine Society meeting. Boston, MA 6/2006

3. Fontenot A and Gruntmanis U. Comparison of Alendronate and Zoledronic Acid Treatments in Men with Low Bone Mineral Density. Abstract presented at 46th UT Southwestern Annual Medical Student Research Forum 11/22/2008. Dallas, TX

4. Sum-Ping O, Fontenot A, Chang AY, Gruntmanis U Student Research Award Winner of American Federation for Medical Research meeting, New Orleans, LA 2/2009