Bone turnover in arginine vasopressin deficiency: a comparative study with primary polydipsia and healthy controls

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin are neurohormones with opposing effects on bone in preclinical models, while their relevance in humans remains uncertain. Data on bone metabolism in individuals lacking AVP release-and possibly also oxytocin-such as patients with AVP deficiency (AVP-D, also known as central diabetes insipidus) remain scarce, although the limited available evidence suggests a potentially deleterious effect.

This study aimed to evaluate bone turnover markers in patients with AVP-D compared to individuals with primary polydipsia (PP) and healthy controls (HC).

This was a secondary analysis of the prospective URANOS Trial (NCT05890690) conducted from June 2023 to June 2024. After excluding patients on chronic steroid therapy (except budesonide and replacement therapy), prior osteoporotic fractures, long-term antiresorptive treatment, or medications known to adversely affect bone metabolism (eg, aromatase inhibitors), 46 participants were included (HC = 22, AVP-D = 11, PP = 13). All individuals were assessed for bone resorption (C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen [CTX]) and bone formation (N-terminal propeptide of type I collagen [P1NP]) markers, as well as 25OH-vitamin D, serum calcium, and phosphate. The bone formation index (defined as P1NP/CTX ratio) was calculated.

Serum calcium, phosphate, and P1NP levels were comparable across groups, whereas 25OH-vitamin D concentrations were lower in patients with AVP-D than in HC (P = .031). Median CTX levels were lower in AVP-D (0.373 [0.288-0.513] ng/mL) than in HC (0.592 [0.427-0.729] ng/mL, P = .021), with no difference between PP (0.514 [0.411-0.618] ng/mL) and the other groups. The bone formation index was higher in AVP-D than in HC (P = .036), whereas no difference was observed between PP and either group. In the multivariable linear regression model adjusted for confounders, CTX was lower in AVP-D compared to HC (-0.183; 95% CI, -0.352 to -0.013; P = .036), with no difference compared to PP.

Patients with AVP-D showed reduced CTX levels and consequently an increased P1NP/CTX ratio compared to HC, whereas no difference was observed between patients with PP and both groups. Overall, these findings do not support major bone metabolic alterations with detrimental effects in AVP-D.