[Application of biochemical markers of bone metabolism in the assessment of secondary osteoporosis in rheumatoid arthritis patients].

Assessment of abnormality of bone mineral metabolism in osteoporosis is made easier by means of newly developed bone metabolic markers. In primary osteoporosis, patients who show high turnover of bone metabolism have high risk of fracture. In RA patients, as bone metabolism is usually high turnover and incidence of insufficiency stress fracture is very frequent, assessment of bone metabolism is more important. Because of poor activity of daily living of RA patients, development of convenient method to collect specimen for examination of bone metabolism and to measure local bone metabolism are important.