BONE TURNOVER AND MINERAL DENSITY OF THE LUMBAR VERTEBRAE IN WOMEN WITH PRIMARY BILIARY CIRRHOSIS BEFORE AND AFTER ORTHOTOPIC LIVER TRANSPLANTATION

Aim. To elucidate the role of cholestasis and menopausal status in the development of osteoporosis in women with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) before and after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Methods and results. There were fulfi lled 74 estimations of biochemical markers of bone metabolism, estrogen (E2), parathyroid hormone (PTH) endogenous secretion so as mineral content of lumbar vertebras in 21 women with PBC (10 women before and 17 in different terms after OLT). Bone turnover disturbances were characterized by delay of bone formation associated with hyperbilirubinaemia before OLT while increased bone turnover following OLT. Bone resorption markers correlated inversely with E2 in postmenopausal women and positively with PTH in premenopausal women. Conclusion. Bone wastes degree depended on hard and duration of disease before OLT so as menopausal status after OLT. In postmenopausal women bone wastes were associated with degree of endogenous E2 decreasing, increased bone turnover, and graft dysfunction.