NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The reduced bone mineral density (BMD) seen in some patients with cystic fibrosis appears to be due to a variety of factors, Swedish researchers report in the August issue of Pediatrics.
Eva Gronowitz of Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital, Goteborg and colleagues sought to determine whether this disturbance in bone formation was progressive.
To do so, the researchers conducted a 2-year prospective study of 54 cystic fibrosis patients, aged 6 to 33 years.
Most patients had normal anthropometric data and normal growth. However, 36% had low BMD-based scores at the lumbar spine and in 33% this was true at the femoral neck.
Nevertheless, BMD increased at a normal rate over the course of the study and was correlated with weight and lung function (FEV1).
In the children in the group, intact parathyroid hormone was positively correlated with an increase in BMD at both of the target sites.
BMD at the femoral neck was negatively correlated with blood sedimentation rate, serum concentration of immunoglobulin G and intravenous antibiotic courses. The team found that “more severe” cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator mutations also led to significantly lower BMD at this site.
The researchers, who call for further studies, conclude that findings suggest that low BMD “is multifactorial and depends on infection and nutritional parameters.”
Source: Pediatrics 2004;114:435-442. [ Google search on this article ]
MeSH Headings:Musculoskeletal Physiology: Musculoskeletal, Neural, and Ocular Physiology: Bone Density: Biological SciencesCopyright © 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
