title: Serum ionic fluoride concentrations are significantly decreased after treatment with alendronate in patients with osteoporosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We determined serum ionic fluoride (SIF) concentrations before and after treatment of osteoporosis with alendronate to clarify whether SIF concentrations directly reflect a change in bone metabolism.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 45 postmenopausal women with primary osteoporosis who were treated with alendronate over a 6-month period were enrolled (mean age, 64.2 years). SIF concentrations were measured by the flow injection method with an ion-selective electrode. Concentrations of bone turnover markers (serum bone alkaline phosphatase, serum osteocalcin, serum type I collagen cross-linked N-telopeptide and urinary deoxypryridinoline) and lumbar spine BMD (LsBMD) were also measured. SIF, bone turnover markers and LsBMD before and after treatment were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Concentrations of SIF as well as concentrations of all bone turnover markers were significantly decreased after treatment: means (standard deviations) before and after treatment were 0.62 (0.13) and 0.32 (0.09) μmol/l, respectively (P<0.001) and the percent change was -46.3%. LsBMD was also significantly increased by 6.7% after treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The reduction of SIF concentrations is probably caused by inhibition of bone resorption due to the action of alendronate. The findings suggest that SIF concentrations directly reflect a change in bone metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Morioka, Japan. hirosato@iwate-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hironori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Kozo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanno
authors.forename: Genyoh
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Muro-oka
authors.forename: Kazuyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Itai
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019386:Alendronate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015519:Bone Density; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005459:Fluorides / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D017736:Ion-Selective Electrodes; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D005459:Fluorides; D019386:Alendronate