Deflazacort and bone mass

V. Lo Cascio

ABSTRACT
Deflazacort is an oxazoline derivative of prednisolone with anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activity which is approximately 25% less potent than prednisone in terms of absolute dosage. Histomorphometry and densitometry techniques have shown that, when used at doses with approximately equivalent anti-inflammatory efficacy, it appears to have fewer detrimental effects on bone mass than prednisone. However, these claims have been questioned on the basis of some doubts regarding the dose equivalence of deflazacort and the glucocorticoid of reference, prednisolone. At present much of the data on bone-sparing effects come from trials that are relatively small or of short duration, even if their number and the consistency of their findings seem reliable. Therefore, well-designed clinical trials are needed, especially to clarify the appropriate ratio of doses for bio-equivalence with prednisone.

Key words
Deflazacort, glucocorticoid osteoporosis, bone mass, bone densitometry, bone histomorphometry.

Please address correspondence and reprint requests to: Vincenzo Lo Cascio, M.D., Clinica di Medicina Interna D, Clinica di Medicina Interna D, Policlinico G.B. Rossi, Piazza L.A. Scuro, 37134 Verona, Italy.
E-mail: locascio@borgoroma.univr.it

Clin Exp Rheumatol 2000; 18 (Suppl. 21): S69-S73.
© Copyright Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 2000.