[A comparative study of the action of different doses of prednisone and budesonide on the biochemical indices of bone metabolism in healthy volunteers].

Our objective in this study was to determine effects, if any, of different doses of of prednisone and the inhalant steroid budesonide on the indices for bone formation (osteocalcin, PICP levels) and bone resorption (piridinoline, deoxypiridinoline, and hydroxyproline) in healthy volunteers (n = 78). In the two-week study, budesonide administered in daily doses of 0.8 and 1.2 mg failed to significantly decrease serum osteocalcin; even in excessively high doses of 2.4 and 3.2 mg/a day it was found out to be associated with but insignificant decrease of PICP level. Prednisone in both a 10 mg/a day and 40 mg/a day dose appeared to significantly decrease the above measures. We take it that budesonide has a lesser effect on collagen formation than it has on bone mineralization.