Abstract:
Because osteoporosis is a common complication of primary biliary cirrhosis, we evaluated the effects of calcitriol (1α, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3) on bone mineral density in 34 women with primary biliary cirrhosis (stage I disease in 16 patients, stage II in 9, stage III in 4, and stage IV in 5). Patients were assigned randomly to receive calcitriol (0.5 mg twice a day) or not. Bone mineral density of the lumbar vertebrae was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at least twice during a period of 12–43 months. The mean annual change in bone mineral density was 0.1% in the treatment group and −3.1% in the control group. The median annual change (with 25th and 75th percentiles) in bone mineral density was 0.3% (−0.5%, 1.9%) in the treated group and −3.1% (−4.1%, −2.1%) in the control group. This difference between the two groups was significant (P = 0.0007, Mann-Whitney U-test). Our findings suggest that calcitriol prevents bone loss and may be an effective treatment for osteoporosis in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.
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(Received Feb. 12, 1998; accepted Aug. 28, 1998)
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Shiomi, S., Masaki, K., Habu, D. et al. Calcitriol for bone loss in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. J Gastroenterol 34, 241–245 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s005350050250
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s005350050250