RESUMEN
The present study aimed to assess bone mass in diabetic patients. Three groups of subjects were included in the study: Group I [GI] consisted of 15 patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus [IDDM], group II [GII] comprised 15 patients with non- insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus [NIDDM] on oral hypoglycemic drugs and group III [GIII] represented the control group and was subdivided into two groups [A and B], each comprised five subjects with matched age in GI and GII, respectively. The study included radiodensitometric measurement of the optical density of the proximal interphalangeal joints of both h and s [as index of trabecular bone density [TBD]] and the distal end of both radii [as an index of cortical bone density [CBD]] as well as the measurement of fasting urinary hydroxyproline/creatinine ratio as an index of collagen turnover and bone loss. Trabecular bone density was significantly reduced in both types of diabetes relative to the control group, but was manifested in both radii in IDDM and only in the left radius in NIDDM. On the other h and, CBD was significantly reduced only in GII patients. Trabecular bone density was positively correlated with the duration of insulin intake in patients with IDDM, while it was negatively correlated with the duration of oral hypoglycemics in patients with NIDDM. Fasting urinary hydroxyproline/creatinine ratio was significantly increased in both types of diabetes and GI patients had a higher hydroxyproline excretion than GII. subjects