Low serum folate and vitamin B-6 are associated with an altered cancellous bone structure in humans

• Published in: The American journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 90; no. 5; pp. 1440 - 1445
• Main Authors: Holstein, Joerg H, Herrmann, Markus, Splett, Christina, Herrmann, Wolfgang, Garcia, Patric, Histing, Tina, Graeber, Stefan, Ong, Mei Fang, Kurz, Karsten, Siebel, Thomas, Menger, Michael D, Pohlemann, Tim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD American Society for Clinical Nutrition 01.11.2009; American Society for Nutrition; American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc
• Subjects: Absorptiometry, Photon; Aged; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip - methods; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; blood serum; Body Height; Body Weight; Bone and Bones - pathology; Bone Density; bone formation; Bones; Correlation analysis; diet therapy; dietary supplements; disease prevention; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Femur Head - pathology; folic acid; Folic Acid - blood; Folic Acid Deficiency - blood; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; health status; human health; human nutrition; Humans; Male; men; Middle Aged; Morphology; nutrient intake; Nutrition; nutritional adequacy; nutritional status; osteocalcin; Osteoporosis; Osteoporosis - blood; protective effect; pyridoxine; risk factors; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Vitamin B; Vitamin B 12 - blood; Vitamin B 12 Deficiency - blood; Vitamin B 6 Deficiency - blood; vitamin B12; women; Osteoarticular system; Human; Low; Serum; B-Vitamins; Bone; Structure; Folic acid; Folate
• ISSN: 0002-9165; 1938-3207
• DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.28116

BACKGROUND: Several clinical trials have reported B vitamins to be associated with osteoporosis. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to investigate whether low serum B vitamins are associated with altered structural and biomechanical properties of human bone. DESIGN: Femoral heads of 94 men and women who underwent hip arthroplasty were analyzed by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), biomechanical testing (indentation method), and histomorphometry. In addition, blood was collected to measure serum concentrations of homocysteine, folate, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, the bone formation marker osteocalcin, and the bone resorption marker tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP). Measurement outcomes were grouped according to subjects with high and low serum concentrations, respectively, of folate, vitamin B-6, and vitamin B-12 (n = 47 for each group). RESULTS: Histomorphometric analysis showed a significantly lower trabecular thickness and trabecular area in subjects with low serum folate concentrations than in those with high serum folate concentrations and a significantly lower trabecular number in subjects with low serum vitamin B-6 concentrations than in those with high serum vitamin B-6 concentrations. In contrast, we found a comparable trabecular structure in subjects with high and low serum vitamin B-12 concentrations. DXA and biomechanical testing did not show significant differences between subjects with high and low serum B vitamin concentrations. Osteocalcin was significantly lowered in subjects with a low serum B vitamin concentration, whereas there was no association between serum B vitamins and TRAP. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study indicate that low serum folate and vitamin B-6 concentrations, but not low serum vitamin B-12 concentrations, are associated with an altered morphology of human bone.