Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39418327›Full record

Observational studyJournal of bone and mineral research : the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research2025

The effects of denosumab on osteoclast precursors in postmenopausal women: a possible explanation for the overshoot phenomenon after discontinuation.

Marian Schini, Fatma Gossiel, Tanya Saini, Peter Banda, Rachel Ward, Tatiane Vilaca, Richard Eastell, Andreas Fontalis

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Journal of bone and mineral research : the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Real-world rebound pattern of serum collagen type I C-telopeptide after denosumab discontinuation and zoledronate rescue in postmenopausal osteoporosis and cancer treatment-induced bone loss.Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Non-metastatic breast cancer patients discontinuing aromatase inhibitor on denosumab: what next?Osteoporosis international : a journal established as result of cooperation between the European Foundation for Osteoporosis and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of the USA · 2026
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Mechanisms to explain the overshoot in bone remodeling markers after denosumab discontinuation: are we there yet?Journal of bone and mineral research : the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research · 2025
    Article
  11. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Marian SchiniDivision of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2RX, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-2204-2095
Fatma GossielDivision of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2RX, United Kingdom.
Tanya SainiDivision of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2RX, United Kingdom.
Peter BandaDivision of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2RX, United Kingdom.
Rachel WardMetabolic Bone Centre, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, United Kingdom.
Tatiane VilacaDivision of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2RX, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-9227-6076
Richard EastellDivision of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2RX, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-0323-3366
Andreas FontalisDivision of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2RX, United Kingdom.

Funding

ECTS Fellowship 2020
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Upon denosumab discontinuation, an observed overshoot phenomenon in bone turnover may occur, potentially leading to a reduction in bone mineral density and the occurrence of vertebral fractures. Several theories have been proposed to explain this phenomenon, one of which is that osteoclast precursors might be accumulating during treatment. Our aim was to study the effects of denosumab on osteoclast precursors in postmenopausal women. This cross-sectional observational study included 30 postmenopausal women with osteopenia or osteoporosis, divided into 2 groups: 15 treated with denosumab (mean duration 4 years, range 6 months-9 years) and 15 treatment-naïve controls. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from whole blood and were stained for CD14, MCSFR, CD11b, and TNFRII. Osteoclast precursors (CD14+/MCSFR+, CD14+/CD11b + OR CD14+/TNFRII+) were identified with fluorescent activated cell sorting. The proportion of osteoclasts was determined by calculating their percentage of the total cell population in each whole blood sample. To confirm the expected suppression of bone turnover in the subjects treated with denosumab, we measured serum PINP, CTX, and TRACP5b. Denosumab-treated patients exhibited a significantly higher count of CD14+/CD11b + osteoclast precursors compared with controls (median 4% vs 0.75%, p=.011). There was no correlation with the duration of treatment. Bone turnover markers were significantly lower in the group treated with denosumab than controls. Our findings indicate an increase in osteoclast precursors, which could explain the overshoot phenomenon observed after discontinuing denosumab.

Indexed as

DenosumabOsteoclastsPostmenopauseStem CellsAgedCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMiddle AgedOsteoporosis, PostmenopausalDenosumabdenosumabosteoclast precursorsosteoporosisovershootrebound

Identifiers

PMID39418327
PMCPMC11909727

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.