Abstract
Carboxy-terminal pyridinoline cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) in serum has recently been proposed as a new biochemical marker of bone resorption. In the present study we compared serum ICTP with radiopharmaceutical and histomorphometric measurements of bone turnover in postmenopausal women with mild osteoporosis, and assessed the effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (2 mg 17β-estradiol plus 1 mg norethisterone daily) and anabolic steroid therapy (50 mg nandrolone decanoate (ND) i.m. every 3 weeks) on serum ICTP in two double-blind placebo-controlled studies with 55 to 75-year-old women. Serum ICTP measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) correlated significantly with the 24-hour whole body retention of 99m-technetium diphosphonate (Rho=0.47, P<0.001, n=66), but not with histomorphometric measurements of bone turnover in iliac crest biopsies. One year of HRT (n=16) versus placebo (n=15) did not produce significant changes in serum ICTP. Compared with placebo (n=17), 1 year of ND (n=19) produced an increase in serum ICTP of 90±16% (P<0.0001); 6 months after discontinuation of the treatment, serum ICTP had returned to pretreatment values. We conclude that serum ICTP does reflect bone metabolism in postmenopausal osteoporosis, but it is not a sensitive marker of the changes in bone resorption induced by hormone replacement therapy, and it does not correspond with other measures of bone resorption during anabolic steroid therapy.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Delmas PD (1991) Biochemical markers of bone turnover: methodology and clinical use in osteoporosis. Am J Med 91(suppl 5B):59s-63s
Risteli J, Elomaa I, Niemi S, Novamo A, Risteli L (1993) Radioimmunoassay for the pyridinoline cross-linked carboxyterminal telopeptide of type I collagen. A new serum marker of bone collagen degradation. Clin Chem 39:635–640
Eriksen EF, Charles P, Melsen F, Mosekilde L, Risteli L, Risteli J (1993) Serum markers of type I collagen formation and degradation in metabolic bone disease: correlation with bone histomorphometry. J Bone Miner Res 8:127–132
Riggs BL, Jowsey J, Goldsmith RS, Kelly PJ, Hoffman DL, Arnaud CD (1972) Short- and long-term effects of estrogen and synthetic anabolic hormone in postmenopausal osteoporosis. J Clin Invest 51:1659–1663
Johansen JS, Hassager C, Pødenphant J, Riis BJ, Hartwell D, Thomsen K, Christiansen C (1989) Treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis: Is the anabolic steroid nandrolone decanoate a candidate? Bone Miner 6:77–86
Christiansen C, Riis BJ (1990) 17β-Estradiol and continuous norethisterone: a unique treatment for established osteoporosis in elderly women. J Clin Endocrinal Metab 71:836–841
Hassager C, Riis BJ, Pødenphant J, Christiansen C (1989) Nandrolone decanoate treatment of post-menopausal osteoporosis for 2 years and effects of withdrawal. Maturitas 11:305–317
Pødenphant J, Riis BJ, Johansen JS, Leth A, Christiansen C (1988). Iliac crest biopsy in longitudinal therapeutic trials of osteoporosis. Bone Miner 5:77–87
Hassager C, Jensen LT, Johansen JS, Riis BJ, Melkko J, Pødenphant J, Risteli L, Christiansen C, Risteli J (1991) The carboxyterminal propeptide of type I procollagen in serum as a marker of bone formation: the effect of nandrolone decanoate and female sex hormones. Metabolism 40:205–208
Pødenphant J, Johansen JS, Thomsen K, Riis BJ, Leth A, Christiansen C (1987) Bone turnover in spinal osteoporosis. J Bone Miner Res 2:497–503
Thomsen K, Nilas L, Mogensen T, Christiansen C (1986) Determination of bone turnover by urinary excretion of 99mTc-MDP. Eur J Nucl Med 12:342–345
Pødenphant J, Engel U (1987) Regional variation in histomorphometric bone dynamics from the skeleton of an osteoporotic woman. Calcif Tissue Int 40:184–188
Delmas PD, Schlemmer A, Gineyts E, Riis B, Christiansen C (1991) Urinary excretion of pyridinoline crosslinks correlates with bone turnover measured on iliac crest biopsy in patients with vertebral osteoporosis. J Bone Miner Res 6:639–644
Geusens P, Dequeker J (1986) Long-term effect of nandrolone decanoate, 1α-hydroxyvitamin D3 or intermittent calcium infusion therapy on bone mineral content, bone remodeling and fracture rate in symptomatic osteoporosis: a double-blind controlled study. Bone Miner 1:347–357
Kasperk CH, Wergedal JE, Farley JR, Linkhart TA, Turner RT, Baylink DJ (1989) Androgens directly stimulate proliferation of bone cells in vitro. Endocrinology 124:1576–1578
Farley JR, Chesnut CH, Baylink DJ (1981) Improved method for quantitative determination in serum of alkaline phosphatase of skeletal origin. Clin Chem 27:2002–2006
Hassager C, Pødenphant J, Riis BJ, Johansen JS, Jensen J, Christiansen C (1989) Changes in soft tissue body composition and plasma lipid metabolism during nandrolone decanoate therapy in postmenopausal osteoporotic women. Metabolism 38: 238–242
Hassager C, Jensen LT, Pødenphant J, Riis BJ, Christiansen C (1990) Collagen synthesis in postmenopausal women during therapy with anabolic steroid or female sex hormones. Metabolism 39:1167–1169
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hassager, C., Jensen, L.T., Pødenphant, J. et al. The carboxy-terminal pyridinoline cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen in serum as a marker of bone resorption: The effect of nandrolone decanoate and hormone replacement therapy. Calcif Tissue Int 54, 30–33 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00316286
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00316286