title: High turnover bone disease following lung transplantation.
abstract: Recipients of lung transplants are at very high risk for significant bone loss. Nevertheless, data on bone disease after lung transplantation are still limited. We, therefore, retrospectively evaluated the data of 33 patients surviving at least 1 year after lung transplantation (LTx) who were seen in our outpatient clinic for osteologic evaluation. Results of clinical evaluations, radiographs, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) were related to each other, to clinical variables, and to serum levels of osteocalcin, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and 25-hydroxyvitamin D: 14 of 33 patients (42%) had vertebral fractures, 9 of whom were diagnosed within 2 years after transplantation. Bone mineral density values (DXA) were markedly decreased and predictive of compression fractures. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D levels were low in 13 patients (39%) and PTH was elevated in 7 (21%). Despite corticosteroids and low 25-hydroxyvitamin D, serum osteocalcin was elevated in 12 patients (36%). This was only partially explained by hyperparathyroidism, low sex hormones, and impaired renal function, and may partly be caused by cyclosporin A. We thus conclude that severe symptomatic bone disease is common in lung transplant recipients and due to a complex situation including high turnover bone loss and hypovitaminosis D. DXA can be used to estimate fracture risk for individual patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Vienna General Hospital, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aringer
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Kiener
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Koeller
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Artemiou
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zuckermann
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wieselthaler
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Klepetko
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Seidl
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kainberger
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bernecker
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Smolen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pietschmann
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015519:Bone Density; D005260:Female; D005598:Fractures, Spontaneous / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000097:blood; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood; D010384:Pelvic Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D015675:Osteocalcin; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D