TRABECULAR AND CORTICAL BONE LOSS IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS

We measured lumbar spine, hip (total and sub-regions) and total body b one mineral densities (BMDs) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in 47 premenopausal female patients suffering from systemic lupus ery thematosus (SLE). As compared to healthy controls, SLE patients had lo wer BMDs at all trabecular and cortical sites. Comparison of BMDs betw een patients ever and never treated with glucocorticoids indicated tha t patients who had ever received glucocorticoids had a significantly l ower lumbar spine BMD compared to those who never did. Moreover, bone loss in patients ever treated with glucocorticoids was commensurate wi th their cumulated oral glucocorticoid intake. Interestingly, patients never treated with glucocorticoids had a lower hip BMD compared to co ntrols, thereby suggesting that the disease per se might induce some b one loss. Taken together, SLE patients suffer from a significant trabe cular and cortical bone loss indicative of an increased risk of future fracture.