Bone Mineral Content in Nephrotic Children on Long-Term, Alternate-Day Prednisone Therapy

Abstract

Bone mineral content (BMC) was measured by single-photon absorptiometry in 24 children with steroid-dependent, minimal-lesion nephrotic syndrome after 1 to 6.3 years of alternate-day prednisone therapy and in a sex- and age-matched control group. Bone mineral content was -0.002 ± 1.2 standard deviation scores in patients and 0.3 ± 1.4 in controls ( t = 1.17; P = 0.25). No significant relation was found between BMC in patients and the amount of prednisone taken or the duration of therapy. Alternate-day prednisone therapy at doses usually needed to keep children with steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome under control does not significantly affect BMC.