Two male steroid-dependent asthmatics treated with etidronate

男性のステロイド依存性気管支喘息患者にエチドロネートを4年間の長期間にわたり投与した経験を得たので報告する｡症例は,男性のステロイド依存性気管支喘息で,エチドロネート200mg/日･14日間投与を4ケ月おきに4年間にわたり反復投与し,活性型ビタミンD製剤 (VD)投与と併用した2例と,活性型VD製剤を単独授与した2例｡椎体圧迫骨折数,境骨耗骨密度,海綿骨骨密度,皮質骨骨密度について,椎体X線像,PQCT(Stratec XCT960)を用いて4ケ月毎に測定し,48ケ月後の効果を検討した｡エチドロネートを投与した症例1では,総骨密度と海綿骨はやや増加を認め皮質骨密度は減少していた｡エチドロネートを授与した症例2では,総骨密度,海綿骨,皮質骨密度はいずれも減少を認めたが,VD単独投与した2例よりもやや減少が抑制されていたようであった｡VD単独投与した2例ではいずれの項目も減少を認めた｡これらの症例からは,エチドロネートは男性のステロイドによる骨傷害にも有効と考えられたが,現在投与継続途中であり,今後さらに検討を続ける必要がある｡We report an experience about administration of etidronate to male steroid-dependent asthmatics for a long time. For 4 years, two men with steroid-dependent asthma were treated with etidronate (200 mg / day, for 14 days) every 4 months and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (VD) together, and two patients were treated with VD alone. Vertebral fractures were evaluated by the lateral spinal X-ray films, and radial total bone mineral density (BMD) , trabecular BMD and the cortical BMD were measured by pQCT (Stratec XCT960) every four months. Trabecular and total BMD increased but cortical BMD decreased in the case 1 who was treated with both etidronate and VD. In the case 2 with etidronate and VD treatments, total and trabecular BMD decreased, but reduction of these indices seemed to be more suppressed than that in two patients with VD alone. According to these experiences, etidronate may be effective against the steroid-induced bone injury in men. Since periods treatment are not en-ough long to evaluate therapeutic effect of etid-ronate, we will have to continue the examination of these cases further more from now on