Endogenous intact PTH is suppressed during Teriparatide (rhPTH 1-34) administration in postmenopausal women with established osteoporosis.
BACKGROUND
Teriparatide (recombinant human PTH 1-34/TPTD) is an osteoanabolic agent available for osteoporosis treatment. The aim of this prospective trial was to evaluate the acute and chronic effects of TPTD in endogenous intact PTH (iPTH) levels in postmenopausal women with established osteoporosis.


METHODS
Thirty-six postmenopausal Caucasian women (age 66.6 1.4 years) with established osteoporosis received TPTD 20 mug once daily for eighteen months. Follow-up was continued for another six months after treatment discontinuation for a total of 24 months. Serum calcium, phosphate, total alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and iPTH were obtained from all women before and one hour, one day, as well as one, six, twelve, 18 and 24 months after treatment initiation. Lumbar spine bone mineral density was measured before, as well as twelve and eighteen months after treatment initiation.


RESULTS
iPTH levels decreased from the first hour of treatment, remained suppressed as long as TPTD was administered and increased after treatment discontinuation (p<0.001). Total ALP followed an opposite pattern. Serum calcium remained within normal range.


CONCLUSIONS
iPTH levels are suppressed rapidly and persistently during TPTD administration whereas they return to baseline after treatment discontinuation; therefore, they can serve as an index of patient's compliance to treatment.
Department of Endocrinology, Hippocration General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Athanasios D
AD
Anastasilakis
Stergios A
SA
Polyzos
Dimitrios G
DG
Goulis
Aristides
A
Slavakis
Zoe
Z
Efstathiadou
Marina
M
Kita
George
G
Koukoulis
Avraam
A
Avramidis
D000368:Aged; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D015519:Bone Density; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000097:blood; D019379:Teriparatide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D019379:Teriparatide; D010758:Phosphorus; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D002118:Calcium