Biochemical markers and bone densitometry in inflammatory bowel disease

Bone mineral density is reduced in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The possible causes of this situation are delayed puberty, malabsorption, and corticosteroid use, among others. No published data exist regarding the use of biochemical markers and bone densitometry to assess osteopenia in these patients in Spain.

We studied 54 patients (24 men and 30 women), 22 with Crohn's disease and 32 with ulcerative colitis. Age, type of disease and average daily dose of prednisone-equivalent corticosteroids were evaluated. Lumbar bone mineral density was assessed quantitative digital radiography densitometry. The bone resorption marker urine D-pyridinoline and the bone formation marker serum osteocalcin were also assessed.

Mean age was 36.61 +/- 13.37 years. Daily corticosteroid dose was correlated with D-pyridinoline (r = 0.413; p < 0.01), and D-pyridinoline was inversely correlated with osteocalcin (r = -0.304; p < 0.01). There was a negative correlation between bone mineral density and corticosteroid dose. There was no relationship between biochemical markers and bone densitometry findings in these patients. There were no differences in terms of bone densitometry findings or biochemical markers between the two types of inflammatory bowel disease.

D-pyridinoline correlated inversely with osteocalcin. Daily corticosteroid dose correlated directly with D-pyridinoline, and inversely with bone mineral density.