Reversion of the steroid-induced decrease of serum osteocalcin with sodium fluoride.
Osteopenia observed in corticotherapy is due, among other causes, to a decrease in bone formation as can be shown by a steroid-induced osteocalcin decrease. Although various treatments have been proposed there is no agreement as to which one is the best. Two such treatments, sodium fluoride and vitamin D administration increase osteocalcin levels. We treated a group of 12 patients under corticoid therapy (mean dose 16 mg per day) with 50 mg/day p.o. sodium fluoride, and determined osteocalcin levels before and two weeks after sodium fluoride treatment. Similarly, another group of 9 patients with a similar mean steroid dose was treated with 0.5 micrograms/day of 1 alpha (OH)2D3 in order to assess the effect of this vitamin on osteocalcin and to determine which was the best treatment. Both groups were compared with respective control groups. A significant osteocalcin increase was observed in the control groups (p less than 0.001); similar significance was observed in the sodium fluoride group, whereas a lower significance (p less than 0.01) was observed in the vitamin D group. These results suggest that sodium fluoride could be more effective than vitamin D in the treatment of steroid-induced osteopenia.
Rico
H
H
Department of Medicine, University of Alcala de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
Cabranes
J A
JA
Hernandez
E R
ER
Barabash
A
A
Romero
P
P
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000097:blood*; D012969:Sodium Fluoride / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000592:standards / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000592:standards / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D015675:Osteocalcin; D014807:Vitamin D; D012969:Sodium Fluoride