Effects of alendronate or alfacalcidol on bone metabolic indices and bone mineral density in patients with ophthalmologic disease treated with glucocorticoid.

OBJECTIVES

Glucocorticoid (GC) is usually used for the treatment of systemic inflammatory diseases. We performed the prospective study to clarify the effects of alendronate or alfacalcidol on bone metabolic indices and bone mineral density (BMD) in 90 patients treated with GC for ophthalmologic diseases without systemic disorders for 12 months.

METHODS

BMD was measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP) and urinary Type I collagen cross-linked N-telopeptide (NTx) were measured as bone metabolic indices.

RESULTS

BMD values in the alendronate group were significantly higher than those in the alfacalcidol group during 12 months. Alendronate significantly reduced urinary NTX levels from the baseline during 12 months, although alfacalcidol did not affect them. Serum BAP levels in the alendronate group were significantly lower than those in the alfacalcidol group during 9 months. The effects of alendronate on BMD and NTx in male patients seemed to be somewhat potent compared with those in female patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Alendronate is effective to prevent BMD loss and bone resorption induced by GC treatment in patients with ophthalmic diseases without systemic disorders. There might be sex differences in the potency of alendronate effects.