Decreased trabecular bone mineral density in newly diagnosed inflammatory bowel disease patients in Korea

Background: Decreased bone mineral density (BMD) is common in Western patie nts with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, BMD has never been stud ied in Asia where the demographic and socio-economic status are different f rom the West. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and m echanisms of osteopenia in newly diagnosed Korean patients with IBD. Methods: We studied 14 patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and 25 patients w ith ulcerative colitis (UC), all of whom had never been treated with cortic osteroids. Bone mineral density was measured in the lumbar spine and the fe moral neck by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Biochemical parameters incl uding serum osteocalcin, parathyroid hormone, plasma inactive and active vi tamin D, and urinary deoxypyridinoline were measured. Results: The BMD Z score at the lumbar spine was lower both in CD and in UC patients, but there was no significant difference between the two groups. There was no significant difference in nutritional status or biochemical pa rameters of bone metabolism between patients with a normal BMD and those wi th a decreased BMD. Conclusions: Low BMD at the lumbar spine is common in newly diagnosed Korea n patients with. IBD, a result which is similar to Western studies. The mec hanism for low bone mass remains undetermined; however, nutritional status and hormonal parameters of bone metabolism, and ethnic differences are not likely to be an important factor in the pathogenesis of this bone loss. (C) 2000 Blackwell Science Asia Pty Ltd.