ABSTRACT
In this study, the concentrations of urinary deoxypyridinoline [Dpyd] [a bone degradation marker] and serum osteocalcin [a bone formation marker] were measured in 20 rheumatoid arthritis [RA] patients, 20 knee osteoarthritis [OA] patients and ten healthy controls. It aimed to quantify these bone specific markers and investigate their role in the assessment of disease activity and severity in RA and OA patients. The results revealed significantly higher levels of urinary Dpyd and serum osteocalcin in the rheumatoid and osteoarthritis patients than the controls. Also, there was a significant positive correlation between these bone markers and disease severity, but no correlation was found with the disease activity in RA patients. In the OA group, there was a significant positive correlation between levels of urinary Dpyd and age, disease duration and disease severity. In conclusion, urinary deoxypyridinoline was superior to serum osteocalcin as a useful biochemical marker for the assessment of disease severity in both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis patients