Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) could be caused by an interaction between nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates and compromised vitamin D function, according to a new animal study (Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, June 2010, Vol. 25:6, pp. 1337-1349).
Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles generated ONJ lesions in rats resembling human disease under the confluence of intravenous injection of zoledronate, maxillary molar extraction, and vitamin D deficiency.
The prevalence of ONJ in the vitamin D deficiency/zoledronate group was 66.7%, which was significantly higher than the control (0%), vitamin D deficiency (0%), and zoledronate alone (14.3%) groups.
"It is suggested that the pathophysiologic mechanism(s) underpinning ONJ may involve the interaction between bisphosphonates and compromised vitamin D functions in the realm of skeletal homeostasis and innate immunity," the authors concluded.
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