Alterations in bone turnover in HIV-positive patients.

Changes in mineral metabolism have recently been described in AIDS patients. To determine whether such changes affect bone turnover and bone mass, we studied 16 HIV-seropositive patients, classified according to Centers for Disease Control criteria, and 27 healthy controls. Biochemical markers of bone turnover and bone mineral density were analyzed. Serum concentrations of osteocalcin were abnormally low (0.5 +/- 1.3 ng/ml) in HIV-seropositive patients, in comparison with the control group (2.98 +/- 1.6 ng/ml) (p < 0.05). Urinary calcium/creatinine ratio was also decreased in HIV-positive patients (0.10 +/- 0.09 vs 0.14 +/- 0.09) (p < 0.05). In addition, bone mass was slightly lower in HIV-seropositive patients, although the difference was not statistically significant. The pathogenic mechanism of these alterations and their clinical relevance still remain unclear, and several factors may be implicated.