Korean J Obstet Gynecol.  1997 Jul;40(7):1450-1457.

Biochemical Bone Markers in Postmenopausal Women

• Lee ES
• Kang BH
• Seo JH
• Park HM
• Hur M

Abstract

The non-invasive assessment of bone turnover has received increasing attention over the past few years, because of the need of sensitive markers in clinical investigation of osteoporosis. The purpose of this study was to assess the availibility of the bone resorption marker and bone formation marker in menopause and to assess the correlation of bone markers and osteoporosis. This study was undergone from January 1995 to October 1995 retrospectively for total 88 postmenopause women who were not treated by hormone replacemetn therapy. The subjects comprised 28 healthy perimenioausal women; 55 healthy natural postmenopausal women; 5 women with surgical menopause. We measured serum osteocalcin as a bone formation marker and urinary deoxypyridinoline as a bone resorption marker. Bone mineral densities were also measured by Dual Energy X-ray Absortiometry(DEXA). The mean serum osteocalcin level in perimenopausal women was 6.40+/-3.12ng/ml, and mean levels in potmenopausal women with duration of menopause for 12 to 48 months, 49 to 84 months, 85 to 120 months, over 121 months were 9.26+/-5.89ng/ml, 9.01+/-2.75ng/ml, 8.36+/-4.99ng/ml, 9.88+/-3.82ng/ml, respectively. The level in surgical menopausal women was 8.76+/-5.24ng/ml. The mean serum osteocalcin levels were significantly higher in post- menopausal women with duration of menopause for 12 to 48 months(p < 0.05), for 49 to 84 months(p < 0.05), and over 121 months(p < 0.01). The urinary deoxypyridinoline level in perimenopausal women was 5.67+/-1.26 nMDpD/ mMCr, and the levels in postmenopausal women with duration of menopause for 12 to 48 months, 40 to 84 months, 85 to 120 months, over 121 months were 7.13+/-1.35 nMDpD/mMCr, 5.14+/-0.83 nMDpD/mMCr, 5.04+/-1.11 nMDpD/mMCr, 6.09+/-1.86 nMDpD/mMCr, respectively. The level in surgical menopausal women was 6.26+/-1.35 nMDpD/mMCr. The urinary deox- pyridinoline level was significantly higher in postmenopausal women with duration of menopause for 12 to 48 months(p < 0.01). There was a tendency that osteocalcin levels were increasing according to decrease in bone mineral density but osteocalcin levels were not statistically significant among 3 groups such as normal, osteopenic, and osteoporotic groups and there was also no significance in deoxypyridinoline levels among 3 groups. As a conclusion, there were no significant correlation between bone formation and resorption markers, indicated that there was imbalance in bone formation and resorption in menopause period. Also bone loss of menopause was peak in 2 to 4 years after menopause.

MeSH Terms

Bone Density
Bone Resorption
Female
Humans
Menopause
Osteocalcin
Osteogenesis
Osteoporosis
Postmenopause
Retrospective Studies
Osteocalcin