Relationship between bone mineral density and syndrome types described in traditional chinese medicine in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a preliminary clinical observation.
Osteoporosis is a common finding following chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but there are few reports on the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and the syndrome types described in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in patients with COPD. A cross-sectional medical survey was used in this study. Twenty-six male patients with COPD and 26 age-matched male healthy subjects were recruited. The symptom questionnaire survey of TCM was implemented, and thereafter the COPD patients were divided into two subgroups: type of deficiency of the lung and spleen (TDLS) and type of deficiency of the lung, spleen and kidney (TDLSK). BMD of lumbar spine (L2-4), non-dominant femoral neck (Neck), Ward's triangle (Ward's), and great trochanter (Troch) were measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. In addition, the other bone turnover markers were also examined. The results showed that BMD was much more decreased in TDLSK than that in TDLS patients (p < 0.05), and BMD in the patients of the TDLS subgroup without symptoms of kidney-vacuity has showed the decreased trend from healthy subjects to TDLS patients. Furthermore, there was a higher incidence of osteoporosis in patients with TDLSK compared with that in TDLS (p < 0.05, OR > 2.0). Therefore, the data suggest that: (1) BMD might be a marker more sensitive than the symptom for the diagnosis of kidney-vacuity in COPD patients; (2) the deficiency of kidney would be the key factor of bone mineral loss; and (3) that invigorating the kidney should be performed in the phase of TDLS in COPD patients in advance.
Wang
Gang
G
Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, People's Republic of China.
Li
Ting-Qian
TQ
Mao
Bing
B
Wang
Lei
L
Wang
Lin
L
Wang
Zeng-Li
ZL
Chang
Jing
J
Xiong
Ze-Yu
ZY
Yang
Ding-Zhuo
DZ
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications*; D016711:Yang Deficiency
D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; C079373:STIP1 protein, human