Abstract: Objective To study the effect of long-term administraion of corticosteroids on bone metabolism and calcium-regulating hormones in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE).Methods Serum concentrations of osteocalcin (BGP), parathyroid hormone (iPTH) and calcitonin (h-CT) were measured by radioimmunoassay in thirty-one SLE patients.Results Serum BGP and h-CT were reduced; but serum iPTH was increased; the differences were significant between-SLE cases and healthy controls(P<0.01).The results suggesed that corticosteroids inhibited bone formation by suppressing cell proliferation and protein synthesis in osteoblasts.Condusion Serum BGP is an effective biochemical parameter in assessing bone turnover in SLE patients during long-term corticostemids therapy.

Key words: Lupus erythematosus,systemic, Osteocalcin, Adrenal cortex hormones