RISK OF OSTEOPOROSIS IN PATIENTS WITH RECENT ONSET SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHMATOSUS

SLE是一种慢性炎症性自身免疫性疾病，其特点是发作和缓解。最难以预测的病程最有可能发生在发病的头几年。初步证据表明狼疮患者骨密度低的频率增加。狼疮患者骨密度低的原因尚不清楚。我们将调查以下假设：骨质流失在疾病发作的头两年加速，这种骨质流失与狼疮疾病及其治疗（狼疮疾病活动性、炎症介质水平和/或类固醇负担）有关。这是一项试验性的纵向研究，研究对象为30例病程少于2年的狼疮患者。具体目标是：1)在基线和随访1年后测量骨密度（BMD）， 2)估计一年内骨密度的变动率，3)分析一年中每三个月测量一次狼疮疾病活动性、炎症介质和类固醇负荷与骨密度和BMD变化的关系，4)探讨狼疮疾病活动性、炎症介质的关系。在一年的时间里，每三个月测量一次类固醇负荷，使用骨形成和骨吸收的生化指标。

SLE is a chronic, inflammatory, autoimmune disease characterized by exacerbations and remissions. The most unpredictable disease course is most likely to occur during the first few years of the illness. Preliminary evidence has documented an increased frequency of low bone mineral density in women with lupus. The reasons for low BMD in lupus patients are unclear. We will investigate the hypotheses that bone loss is accelerated during the first two years of disease onset and that this loss of bone is related to lupus disease and its treatment (lupus disease activity, levels of inflammatory mediators, and/or steroid burden). This is a pilot, longitudinal study of 30 patients with lupus of less than 2 years duration. The specific aims are: 1) to measure bone mineral density (BMD) at baseline and after one year of follow up, 2) to estimate the rate of change in bone mineral density over one year, 3) to analyze the relationships of lupus disease activity, inflammatory mediators, and steroid burden measured every three months over the course of one year with BMD and change in BMD, and 4) to explore the relationships of lupus disease activity, inflammatory mediators, and steroid burden measured every three months over the course of one year with biochemical markers of bone formation and bone resorption.