Osteoporosis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Osteoporosis, including details on symptoms, treatment, prevention, causes. | ||||||||
|
Differential effects of teriparatide and alendronate on bone remodeling in postmenopausal women assessed by histomorphometric parameters.Arlot M, Meunier PJ, Boivin G, Haddock L, Tamayo J, Correa-Rotter R, Jasqui S, Donley DW, Dalsky GP, Martin JS, Eriksen EF Laboratoire d'Histodynamique Osseuse and INSERM Unit 403, Faculty of Medicine R. Laennec, Lyon, France. Monique.Arlot@sante.univ-lyon1.fr An 18-month randomized double-blind study was conducted in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis to compare the effects of once-daily teriparatide 20 microg with alendronate 10 mg on bone histomorphometry. Biopsies were obtained from 42 patients. Indices of bone formation were significantly higher after 6 or 18 months of teriparatide compared with alendronate treatment. INTRODUCTION: Alendronate and teriparatide increased BMD, assessed by DXA, by different mechanisms of action, supported by changes in biochemical markers of bone turnover. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to explore the differential effects of these two osteoporosis treatments at the bone tissue level by examining bone histomorphometric parameters of bone turnover after either 6 or 18 months of treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were a cohort from a randomized parallel double-blind study conducted to compare the effects of once-daily teriparatide 20 microg and alendronate 10 mg in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Transiliac crest bone biopsies were obtained after tetracycline double labeling from 42 patients treated for 6 months (n = 23) or 18 months (n = 14); 5 additional patients were biopsied from contralateral sides at 6 and 18 months. Biopsy specimens adequate for quantitative analysis were analyzed by 2D histomorphometry from 17 patients at 6 months (teriparatide, n = 8; alendronate, n = 9) and 15 patients at 18 months (teriparatide, n = 8; alendronate, n = 7). Data were analyzed by two-sample tests. RESULTS: Histomorphometric indices of bone formation were significantly and markedly greater in the teriparatide group than in the alendronate group at 6 and 18 months, whereas indices of bone resorption were only significantly greater in the teriparatide group than in the alendronate group at 6 months. Bone formation and activation frequency were significantly lower at 18 months compared with 6 months in the teriparatide group, returning to levels comparable with untreated postmenopausal women. In the teriparatide group, the peak in histomorphometric bone formation indices coincided with peak levels for N-terminal propeptide of type I collagen, a biochemical marker of bone formation. The degree of mineralization was lower at 18 months than at 6 months with treatment in both groups but was not different between groups. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm the opposite mechanisms of action of teriparatide and alendronate on bone remodeling and confirm the bone formation effect of teriparatide. Published 7 June 2005 in J Bone Miner Res, 20(7): 1244-53.
© 2004-2008 Osteoporosis Research Today. All Rights Reserved. |
| ||||||