Bone mineral density and vitamin D in patients with sarcoidosis.
OBJECTIVE
Imbalance of calcium homeostasis has ben frequently detected in sarcoidosis patients. In our previous study abnormal metabolism of calcium was detected in about 40% of the patients. In the current study, bone mineral density (BMD) was investigated in relation to serum concentration of calcium and vitamin D.


METHODS
Consecutive groups of fifteen men (40 +/- 12 years, as mean +/- SD) and 18 women (51 +/- 11 years) with histologically proven sarcoidosis who had not been treated with corticosteroids prior to the study were studied together with control groups. BMD was measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) of lumbar vertebrae, and the Z score was calculated to avoid bias of sex and age. Serum concentrations of ionized calcium (s Ca2+), 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D (s1, 25(OH)2D3) and osteocalcin (sOC) were measured at the same time.


RESULTS
In women with sarcoidosis only, sCa2+ and s1,25(OH)2D3 showed inverse correlations with Z score of BMD (r = 0.482, p < 0.05 and r = -0.635, p < 0.01, respectively), and s1,25(OH)2D3 showed a positive correlation with sOC (r = 0.658, p < 0.01). Multiple regression analysis showed that age and s1,25(OH)2D3 were the contributory factors to BMD in female patients. Such a significant correlation was not observed in men with sarcoidosis or controls.


CONCLUSIONS
1,25(OH)2D3 seemed to be contributory to accelerated turnover of the bone and reduction of BMD in women with sarcoidosis.
Hamada
K
K
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan. hamachan@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Nagai
S
S
Tsutsumi
T
T
Izumi
T
T
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000150:complications*; D012737:Sex Factors; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood*
D014807:Vitamin D; D002118:Calcium