Pattern of bone markers during pregnancy and their changes after delivery.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether bone resorption markers change during pregnancy and lactation, and how they are correlated with human placental lactogen (hPL) and PRL.


METHODS
Young women before pregnancy, during pregnancy and during a 12-month post-delivery period (study group; n = 22); and age- and weight-matched normal cycling women (control group; n = 22) for a 20-month-period participated in the study.


RESULTS
In the study group, women both during pregnancy (from the 8th up to the 38th week) and during a 6-month period of lactation, pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline urinary levels were significantly higher than those of pre-pregnancy and control women. They returned to basal values at the 12th post-delivery month. During pregnancy there were early and late peak increases, at the 8th and 32nd week, respectively. At the 32nd, 34th, 36th and 38th week of pregnancy, pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline urinary values were significantly correlated with hPL serum levels.


CONCLUSIONS
During pregnancy the maternal bone resorption seems to vary critically at early and late stages. A complete reversal of these variations seems to occur after lactation. Further studies could evaluate if changes in placental function are capable of differently interfering with maternal bone resorption.
Paoletti
Anna Maria
AM
Dipartimento Chirurgico Materno-Infantile e di Scienze delle Immagini, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italia.
Orrù
Marisa
M
Floris
Lucia
L
Guerriero
Stefano
S
Ajossa
Silvia
S
Romagnino
Sandra
S
Melis
Gian Benedetto
GB
D000328:Adult; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000652:urine; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000378:metabolism*; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007774:Lactation / Q000378:metabolism; D010928:Placental Lactogen / Q000097:blood; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
D000596:Amino Acids; D015415:Biomarkers; C015484:pyridinoline; C036020:deoxypyridinoline; D010928:Placental Lactogen