Abstract
The aim of the current study was to analyze the role of traditional and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-related risk factors in the development of vertebral fractures. A cross-sectional study was performed in women with SLE attending a single center. A vertebral fracture was defined as a reduction of at least 20% of vertebral body height. Two hundred ten patients were studied, with median age of 43 years and median disease duration of 72 months. Osteopenia was present in 50.3% of patients and osteoporosis in 17.4%. At least one vertebral fracture was detected in 26.1%. Patients with vertebral fractures had a higher mean age (50 ± 14 vs. 41 ± 13.2 years, p = 0.001), disease damage (57.1% vs. 34.4%, p = 0.001), lower bone mineral density (BMD) at the total hip (0.902 ± 0.160 vs. 982 ± 0.137 g/cm2, p = 0.002), and postmenopausal status (61.9% vs. 45.3%, p = 0.048). Stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed that only age (p = 0.001) and low BMD at the total hip (p = 0.007) remained as significant factors for the presence of vertebral fracture. The high prevalence of vertebral fractures in the relatively young population implies that more attention must be paid to detect and treat vertebral fractures.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Croker JA, Kimberly RP (2005) SLE: challenges and candidates in human disease. Trends Immunol 26:580–586
Galdman D, Ginzler E, Goldsmith C, Fortin P, Liang M, Urowitz M et al (1996) The development and initial validation of the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology damage index for systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum 39:363–369
Bultink I, Lems W, Kostense P, Dijkmans BAC, Voskuyl AE (2005) Prevalence of risk factors for low bone mineral density and vertebral fractures in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum 54:2044–2050
Borba VZC, Matos PG, da Silva Vianna PR, Fernandes A, Sato EI, Lazaretti-Castro M (2005) High prevalence of vertebral deformity in premenopausal systemic lupus erythematosus patients. Lupus 14:529–533
Wasnich RD (1996) Vertebral fractures epidemiology. Bone 18(3 suppl):179S–183S
Cooper C, Atkinson EJ, O’Fallon WM, Melton LJIII (1992) Incidence of clinically diagnosed vertebral fractures: a population-based study in Rochester, Minnesota. J Bone Miner Res 7:221–227
Melton LJIII, Atkinson EJ, Cooper C, O’Fallon WM, Riggs BL (1999) Vertebral fractures predict subsequent fractures. Osteoporos Int 10(3):214–221
Black DM, Arden NK, Palermo L, Pearson J, Cummings SR (1999) Prevalent vertebral deformities predict hip fractures and new vertebral deformities but not wrist fractures. Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Research Group. J Bone Miner Res 14(5):821–828
Oleksik A, Lips P, Dawson A, Minsshall ME, Shen W, Cooper C (2000) Health-related quality of life in postmenopausal women with low BMD with or without prevalent vertebral fractures. J Bone Miner Res 15:1384–1392
Nevitt MC, Cumming SR, Stone KL et al (2005) Risk factors for a first-incident radiographic vertebral fracture in women > or =65 years of age: the study of osteoporotic fractures. J Bone Miner Res 20(1):131–140
Hasserius R, Karlsson B, Jonsson B et al (2005) Long-term morbidity and mortality after a clinically diagnosed vertebral fracture in the elderly—a 12- and 22-year follow-up of 257 patients. Calcif Tissue Int 76:235–242
Hasserius R, Karlsson MK, Nilsson BE, Redlund-Johnell I, Johnell O (2003) Prevalent vertebral deformities predict increased mortality and increased fracture rate in both men and women: a 10-year population-based study of 598 individuals from Swedish cohort in the European Vertebral Osteoporosis Study. Osteoporos Int 14:61–68
Genant HK, Wu CH, Van Kuijk C, Nevitt MC (1993) Vertebral fractures assessment using a semiquantitative technique. J Bone Miner Res 8:1137–1148
Stone KL, Seeley DG, Lui LY, Osteoporotic Fractures Research Group et al (2003) BMD at multiple sites and risk of fractures of multiple types: long-term results from the study of osteoporotic fractures. J Bone Miner Res 18:1947–1954
Naganathan V, Jones G, Nash P, Nicholson G, Eisman J, Sambrook PN (2000) Vertebral fracture risk with long-term corticosteroid therapy: prevalence and relation to age, bone density, and corticosteroid use. Arch Intern Med 160:2917–2922
Peel NF, Moore DJ, Barrington NA, Bax DE, Eastell R (1995) Risk of vertebral fracture and relationship to bone mineral density in steroid treated rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 54:801–806
Selby PL, Halsey JP, Adams KR et al (2000) Corticosteroids do not alter the threshold for vertebral fracture. J Bone Miner Res 15:952–956
Tan EM, Cohen AS, Fries JF, Masi AT, McShane DJ, Rothfield NF (1982) The 1982 revised criteria of the classification of systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum 25:1271–1277
Guzman J, Cardiel MH, Arce-Salinas A, Sanchez-Guerrero J, Alarcon-Segovia D (1992) Measurement of disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus. Prospective validation of 3 clinical indices. J Rheumatol 19:1551–1558
Kanis JA, Gluer CC (2000) An update on the diagnosis and assessment of osteoporosis with densitometry. Committee of Scientific Advisor, International Osteoporosis Foundation. Osteoporos Int 11:192–202
Clark P, Cons-Molina F, Deleze M, Ragi S, Haddock L, Zanchetta JR, Jaller JJ, Palermo L, Talavara JO, Messina DO, Morales-Torres J, Salmerpn J, Navarrete A, Suarez E, Pérez CM, Cummings SR (2009) The prevalence of radiographic vertebral fractures in Latin American countries: the Latin American Vertebral Osteoporosis Study (LAVOS. Osteoporos Int 20:275–282
Orstavik RE, Haugeberg G, Uhlig T, Mowinckel P, Kvien TK, Falch JA, Halse JI (2004) Quantitative ultrasound and bone mineral density: discriminatory ability in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and controls with and without vertebral deformities. Ann Rheum Dis 63(8):945–951
Weinstein RS, Jilka RL, Parfitt AM, Manolagas SC (1998) Inhibition of osteoblastogenesis and promotion of apoptosis of osteoblasts and osteocytes by glucocorticosteroids: potential mechanism of their deleterious effects on bone. J Clin Invest 102:274–282
Angeli A, Guglielmi G, Dovio A, Capelli G, de Feo D, Giannini S, Giorgino R, Moro L, Giustina A (2006) High prevalence of asymptomatic vertebral fractures in postmenopausal women receiving chronic glucocorticoid therapy: a cross-sectional outpatient study. Bone 39(2):253–259
Disclosures
None
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mendoza-Pinto, C., García-Carrasco, M., Sandoval-Cruz, H. et al. Risk factors of vertebral fractures in women with systemic lupus erythematosus. Clin Rheumatol 28, 579–585 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-009-1105-3
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-009-1105-3