Santiago RA et al. – Low lean mass and glucocorticoid (GC) pulse therapy use are suggested to be the major factors for low hip bone mineral apparent density (BMAD) in juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) patients. Methods
Study to analyse BMD in JDM and its possible associated factors
20 girls with JDM and 20 controls matched for gender and age were selected
Body composition and BMD were analysed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and BMAD was calculated
Duration of disease, cumulative GC, and GC pulse therapy use were determined from medical records
Disease activity and muscle strength were measured by the DAS, the Childhood Myositis Assessment Scale (CMAS), and the Manual Muscle Test (MMT)
Inflammatory and bone metabolism parameters were also analysed
OPG and RANKL were measured in pts and controls using ELISA
Results
A lower BMAD in the femoral neck, total femur, and whole body was observed in JDM pts vs controls
A lower lean mass in JDM vs controls, but no difference was observed with regard to fat mass
A trend of lower serum calcium was observed in JDM, whereas all other parameters analysed, including OPG and RANKL, were similar
In JDM, lean mass and GC pulse therapy use were independent factors for BMAD in the hip region
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