Bone Abstracts

Objectives: The purpose of our study was to investigate RANK/RANKL/OPG system and the concentrations of other markers of bone turn-over in normal pregnancy and pre-eclampsia.

Materials and methods: Forty five patients with pre-eclampsia, 78 healthy pregnant women and twenty non-pregnant women were included in the study. Sera concentrations of the markers of bone turn-over: osteoprotegrin (OPG), sRANKL, osteocalcin and CrosLaps – degradation products of type I collagen were determined using the ELISA method. Statistical analysis was performed using Mann–Whitney U test.

Results: The concentrations of sRANKL and OPG were significantly higher in the second trimester of normal pregnancy when compared to the first and the third trimester.

The concentrations of osteocalcin and CrossLaps were significantly higher in pre-eclampsia when compared to the patients in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Conclusion: The alterations in the bone metabolism are the most intense in the second trimester of normal pregnancy. These results could suggest that there are alterations in bone metabolism in pregnant women with pre-eclampsia.