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    J Clin Densitom. 1998 Winter;1(4):317-21.

    Immunosuppressant drugs and bone disease: a clinician's perspective.

    Epstein S.

    Allegheny University of Health Sciences, Philadelphia, PA 19131, USA. epsteins@auhs.edu

    Immunosuppressant agents are used widely for a variety of diseases, and their usage will increase as organ transplantation becomes more frequent. One of the consequences of their administration is the occurrence of rapid bone loss with fractures. Generally, glucocorticoids (GC) are the main culprit, but calmodulin-calcineurin phosphatase inhibitors, e.g., cyclosporine and tacrolimus, seem to play a role as does the underlying disease, which necessitates treatment or organ transplantation. The mechanisms for the bone disease are multifactorial and actively being researched. The management at present is largely empirical and consists of calcium, vitamin D, and antiresorbers, especially bisphosphonates. In order to achieve an optimum treatment strategy, bone density measurements are essential to define the severity of the bone loss, help decide therapy and monitor progress of the patient.

    PMID: 15304878 [PubMed]

    Supplemental Content

    Patient drug information

    • Cyclosporine (Neoral®, Sandimmune®, Gengraf®)

      Cyclosporine and cyclosporine (modified) are used with other medications to prevent transplant rejection (attack of the transplanted organ by the immune system of the person who received the organ) in people who have rec...

    • Tacrolimus (Prograf®)

      Tacrolimus is used along with other medications to prevent rejection (attack of a transplanted organ by the immune system of a person receiving the organ) in people who have received kidney, liver, or heart transplants. ...