Thyroid function in fetuses with chromosomal abnormalities.

During treatment with inhaled beclomethasone the osteocalcin concentrations decreased, as has been observed in patients taking oral corticosteroids. This might imply that during beclomethasone treatment bone formation is depressed, which could result in osteoporosis in the long run. In our pilot study we investigated healthy subjects who used a high dose of beclomethasone for a short period of time. Whether osteocalcin concentrations are also lowered in asthmatic patients treated with lower doses ofbeclomethasone over the long term is unknown at present. This is not unlikely, however-firstly, because the resorption of the drug might be better in patients than in healthy subjects and, secondly, because osteocalcin remained depressed during long term treatment of patients with oral corticosteroids.4 Therefore a longitudinal study measuring serum osteocalcin concentrations and bone mineral density in newly diagnosed patients with asthma taking inhaled corticosteroids seems warranted.