Editorial

Tumour necrosis factor blockade and the risk of osteoporosis: back to the future

Philip Sambrook

Kolling Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

author email corresponding author email

Arthritis Research & Therapy 2007, 9:107doi:10.1186/ar2277

Published:	30 August 2007

See related research by Marotte et al., http://arthritis-research.com/content/9/3/R61

Abstract

Osteoporosis is a common clinical problem, especially in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A reduction in bone mineral density (BMD) of the axial and appendicular skeleton ranging from 7% to 15% has been reported in RA in studies employing a variety of densitometric techniques. Reports consistent with a beneficial effect of tumour necrosis factor blockade on BMD have begun to emerge in recent years, and in Arthritis Research and Therapy, a case control study reports that patients treated with infliximab for RA had preservation of BMD in the lumbar spine and femoral neck compared to those treated with methotrexate.