A COMPARATIVE-STUDY ON BIOCHEMICAL MARKERS OF BONE-COLLAGEN BREAKDOWNIN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

The aim of this study was to compare urinary galactosylhydroxylysine ( GHyl) and deoxypyridinoline (D-Pyr) as biochemical markers of bone res orption in post-menopausal women treated and untreated with estrogen a nd cyclic etidronate. Pasting urinary GHyl, D-Pyr, pyridinoline, serum osteocalcin and total alkaline phosphatase were measured in three sub groups, i.e. post-menopausal women undergoing hormone replacement ther apy, untreated post-menopausal women and post-menopausal women with lo w BMD treated with disodium etidronate. The results indicated that GHy l did not significantly discriminate between untreated post-menopausal women and estrogen replated ones unless an osteoporotic untreated gro up was selected. D-Pyr and GHyl showed similar performances when their values after bisphosphonate treatment were compared to those found in untreated post-menopausal women, thus suggesting that both markers we re equal in their ability to detect the bone response to cyclic etidro nate administration. This observation further proves the statment that GHyl is prone to confounding factors under estrogen therapy but it is adequate as is D-Pyr in monitoring the bone response to bisphosphonat e treatment. (C) 1997 The Italian Pharmacological Society.