EFFECT OF BECLOMETHASONE DIPROPIONATE NASAL AEROSOL ON SERUM MARKERS OF BONE METABOLISM IN CHILDREN WITH SEASONAL ALLERGIC RHINITIS

Thirty-nine children with grass pollen hay fever were randomly treated with nasal inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) 200 or 400 mu g/day or sodium cromoglycate (SCG) 30 mg/day for 2 months during the pollen season. Serum osteocalcin (OC), parathyroid hormone (PTH), fetal alkaline phosphatase (AP), bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) and type I collagen telopeptide (ICTP) were measured immediately before, 1 and 2 months after treatment and 1 week after stopping the therapy. No significant changes in OC, PTH, AP, BAP and ICTP serum level occurred within each group. Minor and probably clinically insignificant between group differences were occasionally found. Our study shows that BDP nasal spray has no significant effect on common markers of bone metabolism.