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Horm Metab Res 2008; 40(4): 281-285
DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1046787
Humans, Clinical

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Serum Osteoprotegerin and RANKL are not Specifically Altered in Women with Postmenopausal Osteoporosis Treated with Teriparatide or Risedronate: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

A. D. Anastasilakis 1 , D. G. Goulis 2 , S. A. Polyzos 1 , S. Gerou 3 , G. Koukoulis 4 , M. Kita 1 , A. Avramidis 1
  • 1Department of Endocrinology, Hippocration General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
  • 2Unit of Reproductive Endocrinology, First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
  • 3Analysis Laboratories, Thessaloniki, Greece
  • 4Department of Internal Medicine, University of Thessalia, Larissa, Greece
Further Information

Publication History

received 06.06.2007

accepted 13.09.2007

Publication Date:
15 February 2008 (online)

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Abstract

Risedronate and teriparatide have opposite actions on the osteoblast-osteoclast dipole and are expected to influence the RANK/RANKL/osteoprotegerin (OPG) system. We aimed to evaluate changes in serum OPG and RANKL after risedronate or teriparatide administration in postmenopausal osteoporotic women. Seventy-four postmenopausal Caucasian women (age 64.1±1.0 years) were studied. Women with osteopenia served as controls (group 1, n=30). Women with osteoporosis were randomly assigned to either risedronate 35 mg once weekly (group 2, n=21) or teriparatide 20 μg once daily (group 3, n=23) for six months. Blood samples for serum RANKL, OPG, N-terminal propeptide of type 1 collagen (P1NP), and C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen (CTx) were obtained before treatment and three and six months after treatment. P1NP and CTx levels remained unchanged in group 1, decreased in group 2 (p<0.001), and increased in group 3 women (p<0.001) throughout the treatment. OPG levels remained unchanged while RANKL decreased gradually in all groups (p<0.001). There was no correlation between OPG or RANKL and P1NP or CTx. Our data suggest that neither antiresorptive nor osteoanabolic therapy causes specific alterations of serum OPG/RANKL levels; therefore, these cytokines cannot substitute for the established markers of bone turnover in the monitoring of response to osteoporosis treatment.

Key words

osteoprotegerin - RANKL - teriparatide - risedronate - bone markers

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Correspondence

Dr. A. D. Anastasilakis

Soulini 4

566 25 Sykies

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Phone: +30/2310/639 02 7

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Email: anastath@endo.gr