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. 2023 Dec 18;102(2):e207948. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000207948

Table 1.

Characteristics of Included Studies

Glucocorticoid exposure Bisphosphonate exposure
Author [country] Study design Sample, n (age)a Pharmacologic agent(s) Dose, mean Duration, mean n (%) exposed Pharmacologic agent(s) Administration route Dose, mean Duration, mean
Case et al. [UK]10 Case study Case: 11 y DFZ and PRED • DFZ: 0.7 mg/kg/d
• PRED: 0.8 mg/kg/d
6.3 y 1 (100) ZLN IV 0.05 mg/kg <6 mo (1 IV infusion)
Gordon et al. [CAN]11 Retrospective cohort study 44 (median age: 13 y, range: 7–23 y) DFZ and/or PDN NR >1 y 16 (36) ALN, CLO, and/or PAM NR NR 6 yc
Hawker et al. [CAN]12 Nonrandomized, uncontrolled before-and-after trial 16 (mean age: 11 y, range: 7–16 y) DFZ 0.69 mg/kg/d 2.6 y 16 (100) ALN Oral 0.08 mg/kg/d 2 y
Houston et al. [USA]13 Retrospective cohort study 19 (age NR)d DFZ and/or PDN NR NR 19 (100)e ALN Oral 35 mg and/or 70 mg weekly 3.4 y
Ivanyuk et al. [CH]14 Case series • Case 1: 14 y
• Case 2: 13 y
NR NR Case 1: 5 y
Case 2: 9 y
2 (100) ZLN IV • Case 1: 0.04 mg/kg
• Case 2: 0.02 mg/kg
• Case 1: <12 mo (2 IV infusions)
• Case 2: <6 mo (1 IV infusion)
Joseph et al. [UK]4 Retrospective cohort study 520 (age NR)f DFZ and/or PRED NR 4.0 y NRf NR Oral and IV NR NR
Lemon et al. [UK]15 Case series • Case 1: 11 y
• Case 2: 15 y
DFZ 18 mg/d NR 2 (100) ZLN IV • Case 1: 0.025 mg/kg
• Case 2: 0.05 mg/kg
<6 mo (1 IV infusion)
Lim et al. [AUS]27 Case series 9 (mean age: 13 y, range: 9–15 y) (see article for case-specific details) DFZ or PRED • DFZ: 0.9 mg/kg/dg
• PRED: 0.75 mg/kg/dg
6.8 y (see article for case-specific details) 9 (100) ZLN IV 0.12 mg/kg/y (see article for case-specific details) 2.3 y (see article for case-specific details)
Misof et al. [CAN]16 Prospective cohort study 9 (mean age: 11 y, range: 8–14 y)h DFZ or PDN • DFZ: 0.6 mg/kg/d
• PDN: 0.3 mg/kg/d
3.4 y 9 (100) PAM or ZLN IV • PAM: 9 mg/kg/y
• ZLN: 0.05–0.10 mg/kg/y
2.4 y
Moretti et al. [IT]17 Retrospective cohort study 8 (mean age: 19 y, range NR) DFZ 15 mg/d 11.5 yc 8 (100) NER IM injection 25 mg/mo 12 mo
Nasomyont et al. [USA]18 Retrospective cohort study 52 (median age: 12 y, range: 8–20 y) DFZ or PDN • DFZ: 0.9 mg/kg/dg
• PRED: 0.75 mg/kg/dg
4.7 y 52 (100) ALN Oral 17.5 mg/wk (age <7 y) and 35 mg/wk (age ≥8 y)g ≤5 y
Palomo Atance et al. [ES]19 Case series • Case 1: 8 y
• Case 2: 16 y
DFZ • Case 1: 0.7 mg/kg/d
• Case 2: 1.0 mg/kg/d
NR 2 (100) ALN Oral 10 mg/d • Case 1: 2.1 y
• Case 2: 1.2 y
Ronsley et al. [CAN]20 Retrospective cohort study 68 (mean age: 13 y, range: NR) DFZ or PDN • DFZ: 0.9 mg/kg/d (maximum 36 mg)
• PDN: 0.7 mg/kg/d
8.5 y 32 (47) PAM and/or ZLN IV • PAM: 9 mg/kg/y
• ZLN: 0.10 mg/kg/y
4.2 y
Sbrocchi et al. [CAN]21 Retrospective cohort study 5 (mean age: 10 y, range: 9–12 y) DFZ 0.9 mg/kg/d 2.8 y 5 (100) PAM or ZLN IV • PAM: 9 mg/kg/y
• ZLN: 0.10 mg/kg/y
2 y
Srinivasan et al. [UK]22 Nonrandomized case-control trial 51 (mean age: 9 y, range: NR) DFZ or PRED NR 3.3 yc 36 (71)i RIS Oral 35 mg/wkj 3.6 y
Tian et al. [USA]23 Retrospective cohort study 54 (median age: 11 y, range: 6–17 y) NR NR 4.0 yc 54 (100)k ALN Oral 17.5 mg/wk (age <7 y) and 35 mg/wk (age ≥8 y)g 6.0 yc
Ward et al. [multinationalb]24 Randomized controlled trial 34 (mean age: 13 y, range: 9–17 y)l NR NR ≥1 dose within 1 y of trial 18 (53)m ZLN IV 0.05 mg/kg (maximum 5 mg) once every 6 mo 1 y
Zacharin et al. [AUS/NZ]25 Randomized controlled trial 62 (mean age: 10 y, range: 6–16 y)n DFZ or PRED NR ≥3 mo 31 (50)n ZLN IV • Dose 1 and 2 at 0.025 mg/kg (at 0 and 3 mo)
• Dose 3, 4, and 5 at 0.05 mg/kg (at 6, 12, and 18 mo)
2 y
Zheng et al. [CN]26 Prospective cohort study 52 (mean age: 10 y, range: 5–16 y) PRED 0.66 mg/kg/d 21 mo 17 (33) ALN Oral 70 mg/wk 24 mo
18 (35) ZLN IV 5 mg/y 24 mo

Abbreviations: ALN = Alendronate; AUS = Australia; CAN = Canada; CH = Switzerland; CLO = Clodronate; CN = China; DFZ = Deflazacort; DMD = Duchenne muscular dystrophy; ES = Spain; IM = Intramuscular; IT = Italy; IV = Intravenous; NER = Neridronate; NR = Not reported; NZ = New Zealand; PAM = Pamidronate; PDN = Prednisone; PRED = Prednisolone; RIS = Risedronate; SQ = Subcutaneous; UK = United Kingdom; USA = United States of America; ZLN = Zoledronate.

a

Number of patients treated with glucocorticoids (age at study baseline or bisphosphonate initiation).

b

Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Russia, and Hungary.

c

Median.

d

A proportion of patients receiving bisphosphonates were not treated with glucocorticoids.

e

Nineteen of 29 and 13 of 29 patients treated with bisphosphonates had areal bone mineral density measurements at the total hip and lumbar spine, respectively, at both baseline and the follow-up visit.

f

The proportion of patients treated with bisphosphonates (n = 47) also treated with glucocorticoids is not reported.

g

Starting dose.

h

One patient was not treated with glucocorticoids.

i

Bone mineral density measurements were only available for a subset of the total sample (see article for details).

j

One mg/kg/wk for patients weighting <20 kg.

k

Measures of areal bone mineral density at the lumbar spine and whole body were only available for 51 and 49 patients, respectively.

l

Thirteen patients diagnosed with DMD (38% of the total cohort).

m

Six patients diagnosed with DMD (33% of all exposed to bisphosphonates).

n

Fourteen patients withdrew before study completion (5 treated with bisphosphonates and 9 controls). In total, 56 patients completed the 24-mo follow-up (27 treated with zoledronate).