Inverse Correlation between the Changes of Lumbar Bone Mineral Density and Serum Undercarboxylated Osteocalcin after Vitamin K_2 (Menatetrenone) Treatment in Children Treated with Glucocorticoid and Alfacalcidol

摘要

We have reported that alfacalcidol plus menatetrenone, a vitamin K_2 with four isoprene units (mena- quinone-4), treatment is useful for improving bone problems in children with skeletal unloading. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of menatetrenone on bone metabolism in long-term glucocorticoid-treated children with alfacalcidol treatment. Twenty children who had been treated with fixed dosages of prednisolone and al- facalcidol (0.03 μg/kg/day) for 24 weeks were enrolled in a prospective pilot study, and assigned to receive alfacal- cidol (0.03/μg/kg/day) or alfacalcidol (0.03 μg/kg/day) plus menatetrenone (approximately 2 mg/kg/day).