Table 3.

Drug regime for patients whose BMD Z score at the total hip and spine were ≥2

Patient sex/No.	Total hip Z score	Total spine Z score	Drug treatment protocola	Cumulative prednisolone equivalent dose (mg)	Cumulative ribavirin dose (mg)
M/1	−1.60	−2.59	II	625	19,200
M/2	−2.06	−2.37	I	770	32,400
M/3	−2.09	−1.77	IV	5120	36,000
M/4	−2.18	−1.33	III	2545	28,800
M/5	−2.19	−0.76	IV	8915	14,400
M/6	−2.85	−2.12	I	330	24,000
F/1	−2.05	−1.77	IV	4410	3600
F/2	−2.06	−1.66	III	1885	50,400
F/3	−2.20	−1.86	IV	3010	4800
F/4	−2.43	−3.20	II	3335	12,000

^aI: Oral ribavirin as a loading dose of 2.4 g stat followed by 1.2 g three times daily and prednisolone 0.5–1 mg/kg body weight per day. II: Intravenous ribavirin (400 mg every 8 h) combined with hydrocortisone (100 mg every 8 h). III: Pulses of high-dose methylprednisolone (0.5 g IVI for three consecutive days) added on initial combination therapy. IV: Further pulse of methylprednisolone, up to a total of 3 g.