title: Effect of oral 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and calcium on glucocorticoid-induced osteopenia in patients with rheumatic diseases.
abstract: Twenty-three rheumatic disease patients with glucocorticoid-induced osteopenia (defined by measurement of forearm bone mass) completed an 18-month double-blind, randomized study to assess the effect of oral calcium and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25-OH2D) or calcium and placebo on bone and mineral metabolism. Intestinal 47Ca absorption was increased (P less than 0.05) and serum parathyroid hormone levels were suppressed (P less than 0.01) by 1,25-OH2D (mean dose 0.4 micrograms/day); however, no significant gain in forearm bone mass occurred, and bone fractures were frequent in both groups. In the 1,25-OH2D group, histomorphometric analysis of iliac crest biopsy specimens demonstrated a decrease in osteoclasts/mm2 of trabecular bone (P less than 0.05) and parameters of osteoblastic activity (P less than 0.05), indicating that 1,25-OH2D reduced both bone resorption and formation. We conclude that 1,25-OH2D should not be used for treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteopenia. Since patients receiving calcium and placebo did not exhibit a loss of forearm bone mass, elemental calcium supplementation of 500 mg daily might be useful to maintain skeletal mass in patients receiving long-term glucocorticord therapy.
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002118:Calcium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004100:Dihydroxycholecalciferols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood; D011897:Random Allocation; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D004100:Dihydroxycholecalciferols; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D002118:Calcium