Bone histomorphometric analysis in a patient with anorexia nervosa

Long-Term Use of Glucocorticoid Exacerbates Bone Lesions in Postmenopausal Women With Rheumatoid Arthritis

BACKGROUND

Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis is osteoporosis arising due to long-term use of glucocorticoids. Current despite decades of intense research, the effects of long-term use of glucocorticoids in humans on bone cells and bone structural changes remain unclear.

METHODS

We performed postmortem histomorphometric analysis of bone from two female patients with rheumatoid arthritis aged 64y and 85y. Our two patients had been treated with glucocorticoids for 19 years and 14 years, respectively.

RESULTS

In case 1, all markers of cancellous bone volume were markedly decreased compared with the age-matched reference range. Connectivity of cancellous bone trabecula was absent. Only a few island bones were noted. There was prominent thinning of the cortical bone, and extension of the bone marrow cavity into the cortical bone with prominent cortical porosis. Cortical nodes between the endocortical surface and the trabecula disappeared due to endocortical resorption. Stoppage of lamellar structure was observed because the bone resorption by osteoclasts surpassed bone formation by osteoblasts. Empty lacunae characterized by disappearance of osteocytes were visible. In case 2, all volume markers of cancellous bone were decreased to the same extent as case 1. However, cortical porosis was more prominent than case 1.

CONCLUSION

These two cases suggest that use of glucocorticoid therapy > 10 y can induce severe osteoporosis in elderly RA women with higher disease activity, and that the disappearance of cancellous bone is the common characteristic. The 85 year-old woman was characterized by cortical porosis.

Effects of Anorexia Nervosa on Bone Metabolism

Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric disease characterized by a low-weight state due to self-induced starvation. This disorder, which predominantly affects women, is associated with hormonal adaptations that minimize energy expenditure in the setting of low nutrient intake. These adaptations include GH resistance, functional hypothalamic amenorrhea, and nonthyroidal illness syndrome. Although these adaptations may be beneficial to short-term survival, they contribute to the significant and often persistent morbidity associated with this disorder, including bone loss, which affects >85% of women. We review the hormonal adaptions to undernutrition, review hormonal treatments that have been studied for both the underlying disorder as well as for the associated decreased bone mass, and discuss the important challenges that remain, including the lack of long-term treatments for bone loss in this chronic disorder and the fact that despite recovery, many individuals who experience bone loss as adolescents have chronic deficits and an increased risk of fracture in adulthood.

Restrictive Eating Disorders and Skeletal Health in Adolescent Girls and Young Women

This article reviews the effects of restrictive eating disorders on bone health. The relationship between eating disorders and amenorrhea is discussed in detail. The pathologic impact of malnutrition on bone is explored by examining the results of studies using various available imaging techniques. The multiple hormonal alterations seen in adolescents and young women with anorexia nervosa are reviewed, as well as how these alterations may influence bone turnover, density, structure, and strength. The diagnostic clinical evaluation for adolescents and young women with these disorders is also outlined. Available treatment options, including those that hold promise for efficacy, as well as those we deemed to be ineffective, are considered from both the clinical and mechanistic standpoints. Finally, future research opportunities are offered, including intriguing work in the area of fat and bone interactions.