Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by the presence of inflammatory synovitis and destruction of joint cartilage and bone. Tissue proteinases released by synovia, chondrocytes and pannus can cause cartilage destruction and cytokine-activated osteoclasts have been implicated in bone erosions. Rheumatoid arthritis synovial tissues produce a variety of cytokines and growth factors that induce monocyte differentiation to osteoclasts and their proliferation, activation and longer survival in tissues. More recently, a major role in bone erosion has been attributed to the receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL) released by activated lymphocytes and osteoblasts. In fact, osteoclasts are markedly activated after RANKL binding to the cognate RANK expressed on the surface of these cells. RANKL expression can be upregulated by bone-resorbing factors such as glucocorticoids, vitamin D3, interleukin 1 (IL-1), IL-6, IL-11, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, prostaglandin E2, or parathyroid hormone-related peptide. Supporting this idea, inhibition of RANKL by osteoprotegerin, a natural soluble RANKL receptor, prevents bone loss in experimental models. Tumor growth factor-ß released from bone during active bone resorption has been suggested as one feedback mechanism for upregulating osteoprotegerin and estrogen can increase its production on osteoblasts. Modulation of these systems provides the opportunity to inhibit bone loss and deformity in chronic arthritis.

Gallium solubility in the Bi12TiO20 (BTO) matrix was investigated by solid state reaction synthesis and Bi12Ti(1-x)Ga xO20 (BTGaO) single crystals were grown by Top Seeded Solution Growth (TSSG). We determined that it is possible to obtain a continuous solid solution from (x)Bi12TiO20: (1-x)Bi12[Ga0.7Bi0.3]O20 and that Ga replaces Ti in the BTO matrix giving Bi12Ti(1-x)Ga(x)O20 up to x < 0.2. BTGaO single crystals grown with an excess of Bi2O3 were transparent, a bleaching effect was observed due to the presence of gallium in the crystalline sillenite structure and their lattice parameter was higher than for pure BTO. The results for BTGaO single crystals showed an increase in the optical activity from rho0 = 6.4° ± 0.3°/mm, for BTO, to rho0 = 9.7° ± 0.3°/mm, for BTGaO grown with x = 0.30 in the melt. The BTGaO crystal presented an activation energy value of 0.48 ± 0.02 eV for 100 °C <= T <= 300 °C.

Visible and Infrared Optical Absorption and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) techniques have been used to characterize the intrinsic defects in sillenite type crystals: nominally pure Bi12TiO20 (BTO) and doped with vanadium (BTO:V). Optical quality crystals, with the composition Bi12.04±0.08Ti0.76±0.07V0.16±0.02O20, have been grown. Results obtained by these different techniques have shown unambiguously the 5+ valence state of the vanadium ion in BTO:V crystals. In pure BTO samples, the EPR and optical spectra show strong evidence of the presence of the intrinsic defect BiM3+ + ho+, which consists of a hole h+, mainly located on the oxygen neighbors of the tetrahedrally coordinated Bi3+ ion. After doping with vanadium, results have shown that the characteristic bands, associated to this hole defect center, disappear, suggesting its transformation in single Bi3+. Anisotropy of the EPR spectra , at 20 K, is related to Fe3+ impurities.