Status of circulating bone turnover markers in elderly osteoporosis/osteopenia patients in comparison with healthy subjects

Authors

  • Sadra Samavarchi Tehrani, Maryam Moallem, Reyhane Ebrahimi, Seyed Reza Hosseini,
    Hajighorban Nooreddini, Hadi Parsian
Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical
Sciences, Babol, Iran
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Student Scientific Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
Department of Internal Medicine, Ayatollah Rouhani Hospital, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Ira

Abstract

Background: In the aging individuals, osteoporosis is a major health problem. Due to the various limitations of dual X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) for diagnosis osteoporosis, serum-based biochemical markers have been suggested for the discrimination between the patients and healthy subjects.
Objective: To investigate the serum levels of bone turnover markers in elderly osteoporosis patients.
Methods: The serum samples from elderly subjects (osteoporosis (n = 28), osteopenia (n = 28), and healthy ones (n = 28) were collected from Amirkola Health and Ageing Project study. Furthermore, serum levels of bone formation and bone resorption markers as well as estrogen and progesterone were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Kruskal–Wallis test and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were used for statistical analysis using SPSS.
Results: Levels of bone alkaline phosphatase (B-ALP) and procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide (PINP) differed between groups (P = 0.003 and 0.009, respectively). Furthermore, PINP and B-ALP levels had the best area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity for the discrimination between patients with osteoporosis and healthy individuals.
Conclusion: In conditions in which we are not able to assess the bone mineral density by DEXA, analysis of the B-ALP and PINP levels may be a helpful tool.
Keywords: bone density; bone remodeling; osteoporosis