Transplantation osteoporosis

Associations between osteoporosis and drug exposure: A post-marketing study of the World Health Organization pharmacovigilance database (VigiBase®)

BACKGROUND

Bone remodeling is a complex process, and many conditions (including drug exposure) lead to osteoporosis. Here, we sought to detect new disproportionality signals for drugs associated with osteoporosis.

METHODS

We performed a disproportionality analysis of the World Health Organization's VigiBase® pharmacovigilance database through April 12, 2020. The frequency of reports on osteoporosis for all identified drug classes was compared with that for all other drugs and quoted as the reporting odds ratio (ROR) [95% confidence interval (CI)].

RESULTS

Of the 7,594,968 cases spontaneously recorded to VigiBase®, 4758 concerned osteoporosis. New disproportionality signals with a pharmacologically plausible mechanism were found for drugs used in neurology (levodopa (ROR [95%CI]: 10.18 [4.33-25.10]), selective serotonin agonists (4.22 [2.34-7.00]) and memantine (4.10 [1.56-8.93])), hematology (romiplostim (4.93 [1.15-21.10])), pulmonology (macitentan (3.02 [1.84-4.90])), ophthalmology (ranibizumab (3.31 [1.00-10.51])) and rheumatology (tofacitinib (3.65 [3.00-4.40])). The robustness of these new results is supported by the significant RORs for the vast majority of drugs already known to induce osteoporosis and/or increase the fracture risk, namely glucocorticoids, gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs, anti-aromatases, androgen receptor blockers, thyroid hormones, proton pump inhibitors, thiazolidinediones, vitamin K antagonists, loop diuretics, protease inhibitors, nucleoside and nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and enzyme-inducing antiepileptics including barbiturates and derivatives, hydantoin derivatives, carboxamide derivatives and fatty acid derivatives.

CONCLUSION

We established up a comprehensive list of drugs potentially associated with osteoporosis and highlighted those with pharmacologically plausible mechanisms leading to bone fragility. Our results might pave the way for additional exploration of these mechanisms.

Bisphosphonate-Based Conjugates and Derivatives as Potential Therapeutic Agents in Osteoporosis, Bone Cancer and Metastatic Bone Cancer

Metastatic bone cancer occurs in every type of cancer but is prevalent in lung, breast, and prostate cancers. These metastases can cause extensive morbidity, including a range of skeletal-related events, often painful and linked with substantial hospital resource usage. The treatment used is a combination of chemotherapy and surgery. However, anticancer drugs are still limited due to severe side effects, drug resistance, poor blood supply, and non-specific drug uptake, necessitating high toxic doses. Bisphosphonates are the main class of drugs utilized to inhibit metastatic bone cancer. It is also used for the treatment of osteoporosis and other bone diseases. However, bisphosphonate also suffers from serious side effects. Thus, there is a serious need to develop bisphosphonate conjugates with promising therapeutic outcomes for treating metastatic bone cancer and osteoporosis. This review article focuses on the biological outcomes of designed bisphosphonate-based conjugates for the treatment of metastatic bone cancer and osteoporosis.

One-year effects of glucocorticoids on bone density: a meta-analysis in cohorts on high and low-dose therapy

Background

Bone loss during glucocorticoid (GC) therapy is poorly quantified.

Objective

Quantification of bone loss in GC-treated patients with chronic inflammatory diseases (CID; low dose) and transplants (high dose).

Methods

Meta-analysis of cohorts: PubMed, Cochrane, EMBASE and bibliographic searches (1995–2012). Eligible studies prospectively included GC-treated patients with two dual X-ray absorptiometry measurements of spine or hip over a period of at least 12 months. Only supplementation with calcium or vitamin D3 was allowed. 5602 titles yielded 285 articles: 51 study arms in CID (N=1565), 18 study arms in transplantation (N=571). Prednisone-equivalent GC doses and inverse variance weighted mean bone changes were used in a random effects model.

Results

In CID, the mean GC dose was 8.7 mg/day (range 1.2–16.4). The mean 1-year bone loss in the lumbar spine was −1.7% (95% CI –2.2% to –1.2%); in the femoral neck: –1.3 (–1.8 to –0.7). In transplantation, the mean GC dose was 18.9 mg/day (range 6.0–52.7). Bone loss in the lumbar spine was −3.6% (–5.2% to –2.0%); in the femoral neck: –3.1% (–5.1% to –1.1%). Within the two groups, bone loss was not related to GC dose.

Conclusion

In CID, GC-related bone loss appears limited and manageable if current anti-osteoporotic strategies are fully implemented. In transplantation, and probably also other high-dose settings, bone loss is considerable and represents unmet need. The heterogeneity probably reflects the important influence of other factors, most notably the underlying disease and the efficacy of GC treatment.

Medication-induced osteoporosis: screening and treatment strategies

Drug-induced osteoporosis is a significant health problem and many physicians are unaware that many commonly prescribed medications contribute to significant bone loss and fractures. In addition to glucocorticoids, proton pump inhibitors, selective serotonin receptor inhibitors, thiazolidinediones, anticonvulsants, medroxyprogesterone acetate, aromatase inhibitors, androgen deprivation therapy, heparin, calcineurin inhibitors, and some chemotherapies have deleterious effects on bone health. Furthermore, many patients are treated with combinations of these medications, possibly compounding the harmful effects of these drugs. Increasing physician awareness of these side effects will allow for monitoring of bone health and therapeutic interventions to prevent or treat drug-induced osteoporosis.

Posttransplant sarcopenia: an underrecognized early consequence of liver transplantation

Liver transplantation is believed to reverse the clinical and metabolic abnormalities of cirrhosis. Reduced skeletal muscle mass or sarcopenia contributes to increased mortality and adverse consequences of cirrhosis. Failure of reversal of sarcopenia of cirrhosis after liver transplantation is not well recognized. Six temporally, geographically, and methodologically distinct follow-up studies in 304 cirrhotics reported conflicting data on changes in indirect measures of skeletal muscle mass after transplantation. Distinct measures of body composition but not skeletal muscle mass were used and did not focus on the clinical consequences of sarcopenia after transplantation. A number of studies reported an initial rapid postoperative loss of lean mass followed by incomplete recovery with a maximum follow-up of 2 years. Posttransplant sarcopenia may be responsible for metabolic syndrome and impaired quality of life after liver transplantation. Potential reasons for failure to reverse sarcopenia after liver transplantation include use of immunosuppressive agents [mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and calcineurin inhibitors] that impair skeletal muscle growth and protein accretion. Repeated hospitalizations, posttransplant infections, and renal failure also contribute to posttransplant sarcopenia. Finally, recovery from muscle deconditioning is limited by lack of systematic nutritional and physical-activity-based interventions to improve muscle mass. Despite the compelling data on sarcopenia before liver transplantation, the impact of posttransplant sarcopenia on clinical outcomes is not known. There is a compelling need for studies to examine the mechanisms and consequences of sarcopenia post liver transplantation to permit development of therapies to prevent and reverse this disorder.

Psychosocial issues facing lung transplant candidates, recipients and family caregivers

Although lung transplantation is an accepted treatment for many individuals with severe lung disease, transplant candidates and recipients experience a range of psychosocial stressors that begin at the initiation of the transplant evaluation and continue throughout patients' wait for donor lungs, their perioperative recovery, and their long-term adjustment to posttransplant life. Transplant programs should strive to incorporate evidence-based interventions that aim to improve physical functioning, psychological distress, global quality of life, and medical adherence as well as to integrate symptom management and palliative care strategies throughout the pre- and posttransplantation course.

High rate of unemployment after liver transplantation: analysis of the United Network for Organ Sharing database

The goal of liver transplantation (LT) is to maximize the length and quality of a patient's life and facilitate his or her return to full productivity. The aims of this study were (1) to use the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) data set to determine the proportions of recipients who were employed and unemployed within 24 months after LT between 2002 and 2008 and (2) to examine the factors associated with a return to employment. UNOS data that were collected since the adoption of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scoring system on February 27, 2002 were analyzed. There were 21,942 transplant recipients who met the inclusion criteria. The employment status of the recipients was analyzed within a 60-day window at the following times after transplantation: 6, 12, and 24 months. Approximately one-quarter of the LT recipients (5360 or 24.4%) were employed within 24 months after transplantation, and the remaining recipients had not returned to work. The demographic variables that were independently associated with posttransplant employment included an age of 18 to 40 years, male sex, a college degree, Caucasian race, and pretransplant employment. Patients with alcoholic liver disease had a significantly lower rate of employment than patients with other etiologies of liver disease. The recipients who were employed after transplantation had significantly better functional status than those who were not employed. In conclusion, the employment rate after LT is low, with only one-quarter of LT recipients employed. New national and individual transplant program policies are needed to assess the root causes of unemployment in recipients who wish to work after LT.

Post-transplantation osteoporosis

Transplantation is an established therapy for many hematologic disorders as well as for end-stage diseases of the kidney, lung, liver, heart among others. Osteoporosis and a high incidence of fragility fractures have emerged as a complication of organ transplantation. Many factors contribute to the pathogenesis of osteoporosis following organ transplantation. In addition, most patients have some form of bone disease prior to transplantation, which is usually related to adverse effects of end-stage organ failure on the skeleton. This chapter reviews the mechanisms of bone loss that occur both in the early and late post-transplant periods including the contribution of immunosuppressive agents as well as the specific features of bone loss after kidney, lung, liver, cardiac and bone marrow transplantation. Prevention and treatment for osteoporosis in the transplant recipient will also be addressed.

Loss of bone mineral density in renal transplantation recipients

AIM

This study investigated the prevalence and contributing factors of loss of bone mineral density after renal transplantation among Turkish patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study included 70 subjects, namely 50 males and 20 females of overall mean age of 36.94 ± 10.09 years. We measured femoral neck mineral density by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). A T score above -1 was defined as a normal bone mineral density compared with T scores of -1.0 to -2.5 or below -2.5 which were defined as either osteopenia or osteoporosis, respectively.

RESULTS

At a median duration of 23 months after renal transplantation, osteopenia or osteoporosis was observed among 30 (42.9%) or 30 (42.9%) of the 70 patients, respectively. The mean body mass index (BMI) value was significantly higher among the normal than the osteoporotic group: 27.59 ± 4.66 kg/m(2) vs 24.18 ± 3.57 kg/m(2), respectively. However, no significant differences occurred in terms of BMI among the other groups. The amount of proteinuria was significantly lower in the normal than the osteopenic or osteoporotic group: (12.5 (range, 10.0-20.0); 105.0 (10.0-2800.0) or 215.5 (10.0-1880.0) mg/d (P = .001 and .004, respectively). In contrast, there was no significant difference between the amounts of proteinuria displayed by the osteopenic group and the osteoporotic group (P < .05)]. These patient groups showed no difference in age, gender, donor source, cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), pretransplant dialysis modality, duration of dialysis, use of a vitamin D preparation, immunosuppressive regimen, posttransplantation period, levels of iPTH or 25 hydroxy vitamin D3 (25OH vit D), exposure to tacrolimus or cyclosporine (CyA), calcium × phosphate product, serum albumin and hemoglobin content, creatinine clearance, or serum bicarbonate concentrations (P > .05). The T scores of the femoral neck correlated with BMI (r: 0.415; P = .001), 25OH vit D level (r: 0.268, P = .026), creatinine clearance (r: 0.273, P = .022), and serum glucose level (r: 0.349, P = .003). It inversely correlated with the amount of proteinuria (r: -0.263, P = .028), serum alkaline phosphatase level (r: -0.329, P = .005), and serum magnesium concentration (r: -0.252, P = .035). Upon multivariate analysis, BMI and 25OH vit D level were observed to be independent risk factors for loss of femoral mineral density.

CONCLUSION

Loss of bone mineral density is a common complication that correlates with low BMI values and decreased 25OH vit D levels as major risk factors for this problem.

Drug-induced osteoporosis: mechanisms and clinical implications

Drug-induced osteoporosis is common and has a significant impact on the prognosis of patients suffering from chronic debilitating diseases. Glucocorticoids are the drugs causing osteoporotic fractures most frequently, but osteoporosis with fractures is observed also in women treated with aromatase inhibitors for breast cancer, in men receiving anti-androgen therapy for prostate cancer, in postmenopausal women treated with high doses of thyroxine, and in men and women treated with thiazolinediones for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Bone loss with fractures also occurs in patients treated with drugs targeting the immune system, such as calcineurin inhibitors, antiretroviral drugs, selective inhibitors of serotonin reuptake, anticonvulsants, loop diuretics, heparin, oral anticoagulants, and proton pump inhibitors.

Skeletal sequelae of cancer and cancer treatment

INTRODUCTION

Survivors of cancer may experience lingering adverse skeletal effects such as osteoporosis and osteomalacia. Skeletal disorders are often associated with advancing age, but these effects can be exacerbated by exposure to cancer and its treatment. This review will explore the cancer and cancer treatment-related causes of skeletal disorders.

METHODS

We performed a comprehensive search, using various Internet-based medical search engines such as PubMed, Medline Plus, Scopus, and Google Scholar, for published articles on the skeletal effects of cancer and cancer therapies.

RESULTS

One-hundred-forty-two publications, including journal articles, books, and book chapters, met the inclusion criteria. They included case reports, literature reviews, systematic analyses, and cohort reports. Skeletal effects resulting from cancer and cancer therapies, including hypogonadism, androgen deprivation therapy, estrogen suppression, glucocorticoids/corticosteroids, methotrexate, megestrol acetate, platinum compounds, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, interferon-alpha, valproic acid, cyclosporine, vitamin A, NSAIDS, estramustine, ifosfamide, radiotherapy, and combined chemotherapeutic regimens, were identified and described. Skeletal effects of hyperparathyroidism, vitamin D deficiency, gastrectomy, hypophosphatemia, and hyperprolactinemia resulting from cancer therapies were also described.

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS

The publications researched during this review both highlight and emphasize the association between cancer therapies, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and skeletal dysfunction.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS

These studies confirm that cancer survivors experience a more rapid acceleration of bone loss than their age-matched peers who were never diagnosed with cancer. Further studies are needed to better address the skeletal needs of cancer survivors.

Health-related quality of life in adult transplant recipients more than 15 years after orthotopic liver transplantation

With continuously rising survival rates following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of transplant recipients becomes increasingly important. Recipients more than 15 years after OLT were studied retrospectively. HRQOL in 104 adult liver transplant recipients surviving more than 15 years after OLT was assessed using the German Version of the 36-Item Health Survey (SF-36). Liver transplant recipients surviving more than 15 years after OLT scored lower in all categories of SF-36 revealing a poor HRQOL in comparison to the German reference population. A statistical significance was reached in almost all SF-36 categories with the exceptions of mental health and bodily pain, where our study population scored similarly to the reference population. Job rehabilitation after OLT had a positive effect on HRQOL. Patients who returned to their job during the first year after OLT scored significantly higher in the SF-36 categories of physical functioning and role physical. Marital status and the immunosuppression used didn't affect HRQOL as there was no statistical significance reached in any of the comparisons performed. More than 15 years after OLT, long-term survivors present a poor HRQOL comparable to the reference population. Occupational rehabilitation was the only factor shown to positively influence long-term HRQOL.

Post-transplantation osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is prevalent in transplant recipients and is related to pre- and post-transplantation factors. Low bone density and fractures may antedate transplantation, related to traditional risk factors for osteoporosis, effects of chronic illness, and end-stage organ failure and its therapy, on the skeleton. Bone loss after transplantation is related to adverse effects of immunosuppressive drugs (glucocorticoids and calcineurin inhibitors) on bone remodeling. Newer immunosuppressive medications may permit lower doses of glucocorticoids and may be associated with decreased bone loss and fractures. Bisphosphonates are currently the most effective agents for the prevention and treatment of post-transplantation osteoporosis.