Effect of bisphosphonates on bone mineral density in liver transplant patients: a meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Abstract

Bone mineral density (BMD) loss after liver transplantation (LT) results in considerable morbidity with the increased risk of fractures. Data on the efficacy of bisphosphonate use in post LT patients is scarce. This meta-analysis aims to summarize the results from published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the topic of interest. Electronic databases were searched to identify relevant publications. A total of 157 articles were identified and reviewed. Individual authors were contacted from relevant RCTs to obtain individual patient data where necessary to uniformly quantify BMD values post LT pre- and post LT. A total of six RCTs were used for final data extraction. (i) Lumbar Spine: In 364 patients (six studies, 182 in intervention and control groups each), bisphosphonate therapy improved BMD by 0.03 g/cm(2) (95% C.I. 0.01-0.05 g/cm(2); P = 0.02) at 12 months post LT. (ii) Femoral neck: In 268 patients (four studies, 130 bisphosphonate, 138 control), bisphosphonate use did not result in a statistically significant change in BMD at the end of 1 year. None of the studies noted serious adverse effects related to bisphosphonate administration. Data on incident fractures could not be pooled because of heterogeneity. Bisphosphonate therapy during the first year in LT recipients appears to reduce accelerated bone loss and improve bone mineral density at the lumbar spine.