title: Lower serum beta-CrossLaps in male cardiac transplant recipients treated without prednisolone.
abstract: Post-transplantation bone disease is a frequent problem after successful cardiac transplantation. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of male heart transplant recipients in the late post-transplantation period. Nine patients (group A) had received immunosuppressive therapy with cyclosporin A and mycophenolate mofetil (steroid-free treatment), and 12 patients (group B) remained on triple-drug therapy, which included glucocorticosteroids. Bone mineral density status was analyzed by osteodensitometry and by markers of bone turnover. Osteopenia was common in both groups (44.4% in group A and 50% in group B) as was osteoporosis (30% and 33.3% in groups A and B, respectively). beta-CrossLaps were significantly lower in sera of cardiac transplant recipients on double immunosuppressive (i.e., glucocorticosteroid-free) regimen than in sera of patients on triple-drug therapy (428.3+/-109.4 vs 661.7+/-337.0 pg/ml, P<0.05). Lower serum beta-CrossLaps levels in patients undergoing glucocorticosteroid-free treatment may indicate a lower risk of bone deterioration in the long term.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Vorarlberg Institute of Vascular Investigation and Treatment (VIVIT), Landeskrankenhaus Feldkirch, Carinagasse 47, 6807, Feldkirch, Austria. guenter.hoefle@lkhf.at
authors.forename: Günter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Höfle
authors.forename: Hannes
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Holzmüller
authors.forename: Ghazaleh
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gouya
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hergan
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hubmann
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Langer
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Drexel
mesh_terms: D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000209:etiology; D003094:Collagen / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000209:etiology; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C110762:glutamyl-lysyl-alanyl-histidyl-aspartyl-glycyl-glycyl-arginine; D016572:Cyclosporine; D003094:Collagen; D011239:Prednisolone; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid