title: Bone density changes in Paget's disease 2 years after iv pamidronate: profound, sustained increases in pagetic bone with severity-related loss in forearm nonpagetic cortical bone.
abstract: Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured at three sites (forearm, spine, and hip) using dual X-ray and single-photon absorptiometry in 68 patients with Paget's disease before and after treatment with iv pamidronate. Patients were treated according to the severity of their disease; the mild category (Group I, hydroxyproline excretion (Hyp(E)) <5.0 micromol/L GF) received 120 mg, the moderate category (Group II, Hyp(E) 5.0-9.99 micromol/GF) 180 mg, and the severe category (Group III, > or = 10.0 micromol/GF) 240 mg. Group I was followed for 1 year, and both Groups II and III for 2 years. At the lumbar spine in pagetic bone there were no differences between groups in early responses, with a profound increase 6 months after treatment 20.5 +/- 2.0% above baseline values to 1.403 +/- 0.063 g/cm(2) (mean +/- SEM)(P < 0.001). This increase in BMD was sustained to 2 years (1.355 +/- 0.078 g/cm(2), P < 0.001) and was 15.0 +/- 2.2% above baseline values. The pagetic total hip BMD increased after treatment in all groups, with a mean rise of 10.4 +/- 1.4% at 1 year to 1.505 +/- 0.083 g/cm(2) (P < 0.01). At the pagetic femoral neck the response was similar, with a peak significant rise at 1 year of 10.7 +/- 1.7% to 1.403 +/- 0.097 g/cm(2) (P < 0.01). In nonpagetic spinal bone there were no differences between the group responses, with a combined mean increase of 4.3 +/- 0.7% at 1 year to 0.999 +/- 0.027 g/cm(2) (P < 0.01). In both Groups II and III the increase in BMD was significantly higher than baseline values at 1 and 2 years (P < 0.01). In the nonpagetic total hip BMD remained unchanged over the 2-year period and likewise, there were no significant changes from baseline at the nonpagetic femoral neck site. In the nonpagetic forearm we found a significant loss in BMD at the ultradistal (mainly trabecular), midregion (80% cortical), and proximal shaft (95% cortical) sites in Group III, persisting to 2 years at the latter two sites. The increase in bone density in pagetic bone, persisting at least 2 years, provides a new modality of assessment of the response of pagetic bone to treatment and suggests a mechanism for the reduction in fracture risk in such bone after effective bisphosphonate treatment. Severity-dependent nonpagetic forearm bone loss, persisting to 2 years at cortical sites, suggests a potential drug-induced fracture risk at the forearm and possibly elsewhere in the absence of appropriate preventive cotreatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, 6000 Western Australia, Australia. dhgutteridge@bigpond.com
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Gutteridge
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Retallack
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: R I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: G O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: B G A
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Stuckey
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Prince
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Kent
authors.forename: C I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Bhagat
authors.forename: R I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Nicholson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005542:Forearm / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D010001:Osteitis Deformans / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000077268:Pamidronate; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D004164:Diphosphonates; D000077268:Pamidronate