Objective: To evaluate and correlate three biochemical markers of bone turnover and bone mineral density in the lumbar spine.
Method: Eighty seven adults with the low back pain(45 men and 42 women) were enrolled in this study. Bone mineral density in the lumbar spine was evaluated by a quantitative computed tomography. Serum osteocalcin, serum alkaline phosphatase, and urinary deoxypyridinoline were measured in the early morning.
Results: The mean serum osteocalcin values were 5.61 ng/ml in men and 5.68 ng/ml in women. The mean urinary deoxypyridinoline values were 6.54 nM/mM.Cr. in men and 10.0 nM/mM.Cr. in women. Among women, the values of serum osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase were significantly higher in the postmenopausal group than the premenopausal group(p＜0.01). And, they were inversely related to bone mineral density in lumbar spine.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that the measurement of serum osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase, and urinary deoxypyridinoline can be used as indirect indicators of the current bone status, and can be effectively used in the evaluation and treatment of osteoporosis.
