title: Low serum osteocalcin levels in glucocorticoid-treated asthmatics.
abstract: Serum osteocalcin (OC) levels were measured in 19 asthmatic patients receiving long term glucocorticoid therapy and in age- and sex-matched asthmatic patients not receiving this treatment. In the glucocorticoid-treated patients, the mean OC level was approximately 50% less than that in the control group (P less than 0.001), and there was a direct correlation between serum OC and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25-(OH)2D; r = 0.71; P less than 0.001]. Multiple regression analysis in a total of 39 glucocorticoid-treated patients indicated that OC correlated directly to 1,25-(OH)2D and inversely to glucocorticoid dose. There was no correlation between OC and 1,25-(OH)2D in the control group and no significant difference in mean serum 1,25-(OH)2D between the steroid-treated asthmatic patients and the asthmatic control patients. The effect of a 4-day course of oral 1,25-(OH)2D on serum OC was studied in six patients with glucocorticoid excess and six normal subjects. There was a similar percent increase in OC levels in both groups, though the basal concentrations and absolute increases were substantially less in the steroid-treated group. It is likely that the depression of serum OC in glucocorticoid-treated patients results from the reduction in the rate of bone formation induced by these hormones.
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D004872:Ergocalciferols / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015675:Osteocalcin; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D004872:Ergocalciferols; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D015675:Osteocalcin; C003564:1,25-dihydroxyergocalciferol; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase