[Effects of vitamin K2 administration in the patients with severely motor and intellectual disabilities: assessment of bone metabolic marker and bone mineral density].

Abstract We studied the effects of vitamin K2 (menatetrenone) on the bone metabolic markers and bone mineral density (BMD) in 17 with low level of BMD cases of severely motor and intellectual disabilities (SMID). Markers of bone formation and resorption as well as BMD were determined before, and 16, 32, and 48 weeks after administration of vitamin K2. After 48 weeks of treatment, serum bone alkaline phosphatase and oseteocalcin levels of significantly increased (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, respectively), but urinary excretion of neither pyridinoline nor deoxypyridinoline decreased. BMD determined by the computed X-ray densitometer method tended to increase in cases with severe motor dysfunction (p = 0.07). There were no side effects. These data demonstrate that vitamin K2 may improve bone formation in patients with SMID.