title: Bone health in children and adolescents with steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome assessed by DXA and QUS.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The management of steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) requires treatment with high-dose glucocorticoids (GCs), but GC usage causes the most frequent form of drug-induced osteoporosis. The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of GCs on bone mineralization in patients with SSNS using two diagnostic tools, dual-energy X-ray densitometry (DXA) and quantitative ultrasound (QUS), and to compare the diagnostic efficacy of these two imaging tools.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 30 children with SSNS (age 5.20 ± 2.20 years) were evaluated at the start (T0) and after 1 (T1), 2.44 ± 0.75 (T2, 18 patients) and 5.96 ± 2.33 years (T4, 12 patients) of GC treatment. Patients who stopped at T2 were also evaluated at the 1-year timepoint after ceasing GC treatment (T3).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the patients assessed at T2, 11 had bone mineralization at the lower limit of normal versus those at T0 and T1, with bone mineralization rescue at the 1-year timepoint after GC discontinuation. At T4, 6/12 patients had densitometric parameters at the lower limit of normal values, and 3/12 patients showed reduced bone mineralization. The parameters derived from measurements of DXA and QUS were significantly related to each timepoint.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with SSNS receiving GC therapy undergo bone status alteration related to the dosage and duration of the therapy. In terms of diagnostic efficacy, DXA and QUS were comparable, indicating that QUS is a reliable tool to evaluate bone health in children with SSNS.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Nephrology, Children's Hospital Giovanni XXIII, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aceto
authors.forename: Olinda
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: D'Addato
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.forename: Vincenza
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cavallo
authors.forename: Giacomina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brunetti
authors.forename: Maria Felicia
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Faienza
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000293:Adolescent; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002113:Calcification, Physiologic; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000209:etiology; D011627:Puberty; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D013256:Steroids