Early and Sustained Changes in Bone Metabolism After Severe Burn Injury

Context: Severe burn injury causes a massive stress response, consecutively heightened serum levels of acute phase proteins, cortisol, and catecholamines with accompanying disturbance in calcium metabolism. Objective: Evaluation of early and prolonged changes of serum bone turnover markers (BTMs) and regulators of bone metabolism. Design: Longitudinal observational design. Setting: University clinic. Patients: A total of 32 male patients with a median age of 40.5 years and a median burned total body surface area of 40% (83% patients with full thickness burn injury). Interventions: None. Main Outcome Measures: Comparison of changes of BTM/regulators of bone metabolism in the early (d 2–7) and prolonged (d 7–56) phases after trauma. Results: All investigated BTM/regulators significantly changed. During the early phase, pronounced increases were observed for serum type 1 collagen cross-linked C-telopeptide, intact N-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen, sclerostin, Dickkopf-1, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, fibroblast growth factor 23, and intact parathyroid hormone levels, whereas 25-hydroxyvitamin D, albumin, serum, and ionized calcium levels decreased. Changes of osteoprotegerin, osteocalcin, and phosphate were less pronounced but remained significant. In the prolonged phase, changes of intact N-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen were most pronounced, followed by elevated sclerostin, osteocalcin, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, and lesser changes for albumin levels. Calcium and ionized calcium levels tardily increased and remained within the limit of normal. In contrast, levels of intact parathyroid hormone, fibroblast growth factor 23, C-reactive protein, and to a lesser extent serum type 1 collagen cross-linked C-telopeptide and phosphate levels declined significantly during this phase of investigation. Conclusions: Ongoing changes of BTM and regulators of bone metabolism suggest alterations in bone metabolism with a likely adverse influence on bone quality and structure in male patients with severe burn injuries.