Pathophysiological approach to bone turnover in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract EN

Objective: Assessment of the pathophysiological background of bone mass reduction in postmenopausal patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Material: Twenty five postmenopausal RA patients, mean age 51.6 years, mean duration of illness 2.6 years, mean duration of menopause 6.4 years.

Thirty postmenopausal (PM) ladies, mean age 53.1 years, mean duration of menopause 6.7 years served as a control group.

Methods: Deoxypyridinoline (Dpd), bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP), calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase were tested for all subjects.

In addition osteo CT of the lumbar vertebrae was done.

None of the subjects ever had any form of steroid therapy nor hormone replacement therapy.

Results: RA patients demonstrated a significant reduction in bone mass both cortical and trabecular, as compared to the non-RA group (p < 0.01).

There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding serum Ca, P or alkaline phosphatase.

Bone markers study revealed significant increase in Dpd in RA patients compared with the non-RA group (p < 0.001).

This reflected an increase in bone resorption.

However, there was no significant difference between the two groups regarding BAP