Cortical bone porosity in patients with asthma

In previous studies, we have demonstrated that chronic administration of systemic glucocorticoids decreases cortical bone mineral density (BMD), cortical bone volume, bone strength, and induces development of pathologic fractures in asthmatic patients. We have also demonstrated that glucocorticoid administration appears to be responsible for the process of cortical bone porosity at both endosteal and intracortical sites in postmenopausal asthmatic patients. There is a difference of gonadal hormones between male and female. To investigate the influence of hormonal difference on glucocorticoid-induced cortical bone porosity, we studied cortical bone volume and BMD in both male and female patients with asthma in this report. A total of 99 asthmatic patients (male 26 cases, female 73 cases) were enrolled in the study. Peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pOCT) was used to measure cortical BMD and relative cortical volume. The cortical volume-density relationship appeared to remain constant regardless of the level of systemic glucocorticoid administration, age or sex, suggesting cortical bone porosity causes similar and simultaneous decreases in cortical bone volume and density. In conclusion, glucocorticoid administration appears to be responsible for the process of cortical bone porosity at both endosteal and intracortical sites despite the gonadal hormonal differences.