title: Osteoprotegerin Levels Decrease in Abstinent Alcohol-Dependent Patients.
abstract: Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a parameter of increasing interest in the search for pathophysiological mechanisms of reduced bone mineral density (BMD). It has been shown to be increased in alcohol-dependent subjects. In our study, we wanted to examine whether changes in OPG and receptor activator of the nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) levels during an 8-week abstinence period in alcohol-dependent patients treated in an alcohol rehabilitation clinic would occur and whether alcohol-related variables, smoking, status, or physical activity prior to the study served as an influence on BMD and on OPG/RANKL levels.
  
  
  
  Forty-three patients, who were abstinent not longer than a week, were included in the study. OPG and RANKL as well as other markers of bone metabolism were measured at baseline, and after 8 weeks of treatment, BMD was measured once.
  
  
  
  OPG levels decreased significantly, while osteocalcin, a marker of bone formation, increased significantly. RANKL as well as RANKL/OPG ratio, Serum CrossLaps, and all examined hormones showed no significant changes over time. Inflammatory parameters showed a significant reduction after 8 weeks. We detected no influence of potentially confounding variables of alcohol dependency on the course of OPG or other laboratory values.
  
  
  
  Our results could point to the well-known risk for reduced BMD in these patients being reversible with abstinence through an excess of bone formation. We also confirmed earlier findings that inflammatory processes play a role in the pathogenesis of alcohol-induced disturbances in bone metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: von Gleissenthall
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Rudolf W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Gasser
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Roy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moncayo
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Johannes M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Giesinger
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Sergei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mechtcheriakov
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D064829:Alcohol Abstinence; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000097:blood; D053244:Osteoprotegerin / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D053245:RANK Ligand / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D053244:Osteoprotegerin; D053245:RANK Ligand; C505688:TNFSF11 protein, human; D015675:Osteocalcin
keywords: Alcohol Dependence; Bone Mineral Density; Osteocalcin; Osteoprotegerin; Receptor Activator of the Nuclear Factor-κB Ligand