title: Lack of correlation of skin thickness with bone density in patients receiving chronic glucocorticoid.
abstract: The objective was to test the hypothesis that there is a correlation between thinning of the skin and bone in patients on chronic oral glucocorticoids (GCs). This was a one-time cross-sectional analysis performed in an academic referral center. The study group consisted of 14 patients on GCs for a variety of disorders, including dermatomyositis, pemphigus vulgaris, pyoderma gangrenosum, and urticarial vasculitis. Skin thickness was compared with that of 24 sex- and age-matched controls. The main outcome measures were the bone density of the lumbar spine (L2-L4) and the skin thickness. The skin thickness (mm, mean +/- SEM) in GC-treated (n = 7) vs unmedicated age-matched Caucasian women (n = 20) was 0.84 +/- 0.04 vs 1.02 +/- 0.04 (t = 3.07, P < 0.01) in the upper arm, 1.13 +/- 0.09 vs 1.49 +/- 0.05 (t = 3.65, P < 0.002) in the dorsal forearm, and 0.96 +/- 0.07 vs 1.17 +/- 0.02 (t = 2.92, P < 0.01) in the ventral forearm. L2-L4 bone densities averaged 106 +/- 2% in the GC-treated female patients relative to the age and sex-matched controls. There was no correlation between skin thickness and bone density. In GC-treated (n = 4) vs unmedicated Caucasian men matched for age (n = 4), skin thickness was 1.09 +/- 0.4 vs 1.33 +/- 0.05 (t = 3.51, P < 0.02) in the upper arm, but was not significantly different at the two forearm sites. No correlation between skin thickness and bone density was observed. The level of type I procollagen mRNA in skin from three GC-treated patients was 45% of the value in three age-matched controls. In conclusion, GCs cause statistically significant thinning of skin independently of the effects on bone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104, USA. werth@mail.upenn.edu
authors.forename: V P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Werth
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kligman
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pagnoni
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D005796:Genes / Q000235:genetics; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011347:Procollagen / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D012867:Skin / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011347:Procollagen; D012333:RNA, Messenger