Hepatic osteodystrophy and liver cirrhosis

AIM: To investigate the correlation between hepatic osteodystrophy and osteoporosis in patients with liver cirrhosis. METHODS: Bone mineral density of the patients (n = 55) and that of the control group (n = 30) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. All the women in the study were premenopausal. Deoxypyridinoline, pyridinoline and urinary Ca2+ were measured as bone destruction markers, while alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) were measured as bone formation markers. Furthermore, interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor a (TNF-alpha), vitamin D3, direct bilirubin, albumin, cortisol and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were measured. The independent Student t test and chi(2) test were employed in comparing both groups, and the Pearson correlation test was used to determine associations. RESULTS: Comparing cirrhosis and control groups, lumbar total T-score (-1.6 +/- 1.2 g/cm(2) vs -0.25 +/- 1.3 g/cm(2), P < 0.001), lumbar total Z-score (-1.2 +/- 1.23 g/cm(2) vs -0.6 +/- 1.3 g/cm(2), P < 0.001), total femur T-score (-0.05 +/- 1 g/cm(2) vs -0.6 +/- 0.9 g/cm(2), P = 0.003) and total femur Z-score (-0.08 +/- 1.5 g/cm(2) vs 0.7 +/- 0.9 g/cm(2), P = 0.003) showed significantly lower values in the cirrhosis group. Blood ALP level (109.2 +/- 57 U/L vs 62.6 +/- 32.5 U/L, P < 0.001), IL-6 level (27.9 +/- 51.6 pg/mL vs 3.3 +/- 3.1 pg/mL, P = 0.01), TNF-alpha level (42.6 +/- 33.2 pg/mL vs 25.3 +/- 12.3 pg/mL, P = 0.007) and direct bilirubin level (0.9 +/- 0.7 mg/dL vs 0.3 +/- 0.2 mg/dL, P < 0.001) were significantly higher in the cirrhosis group. IGF-1 level (47.7 +/- 26.2 ng/mL vs 143.4 +/- 53.2 ng/mL, P < 0.001), osteocalcin level (1.05 +/- 2.5 ng/mL vs 7.0 +/- 13 ng/mL, P = 0.002) and 24 h urinary Ca2+ (169.6 +/- 227.2 mg/dL vs 287 +/- 168.6 mg/dL, P = 0.003) were significantly lower in the cirrhosis group. Urinary deoxypyridinoline/creatinine (9.4 +/- 9.9 pmol/pmol vs 8.1 +/- 5.3 pmolhimol, P = 0.51), urinary pyridinoline/creatinine (51.3 +/- 66.6 pmol/mu mol vs 29 +/- 25.8 pmol/mu mol, P = 0.08), blood IL-1 level (3.4 +/- 8.8 pg/mL vs 1.6 +/- 3.5 pg/mL, P = 0.29), vitamin D3 level (18.6 +/- 13.3 mu g/L vs 18.4 +/- 8.9 mu g/L, P = 0.95), cortisol level (11.1 +/- 4.8 mu g/dL vs 12.6 +/- 4.3 mu g/dL, P = 0.15) and PTH level (42.7 +/- 38 mu g/dL vs 34.8 +/- 10.9 mu g/dL, P = 0.27) were not significantly different. CONCLUSION: Hepatic osteodystrophy is an important complication encountered in patients with liver cirrhosis and all patients should be monitored for hepatic osteodystrophy. (C) 2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved.