Relationship between bone turnover markers and the heel stiffness index measured by quantitative ultrasound in post-menopausal Japanese women

• Published in: Annals of human biology Vol. 46; no. 4; pp. 330 - 334
• Main Authors: Nishimura, Takayuki, Arima, Kazuhiko, Abe, Yasuyo, Kanagae, Mitsuo, Mizukami, Satoshi, Okabe, Takuhiro, Tomita, Yoshihito, Goto, Hisashi, Hasegawa, Maiko, Sou, Yoko, Horiguchi, Itsuko, Aoyagi, Kiyoshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 19.05.2019; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alkaline Phosphatase - blood; Biomarkers - blood; Bone Remodeling - physiology; bone turnover markers; Cities; elderly; Female; Health Status Indicators; Heel - diagnostic imaging; Heel - physiopathology; Humans; Independent Living; Japan; Middle Aged; Osteoporosis; quantitative ultrasound (QUS); Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase - blood; women; Japan; Cities; Osteoporosis; quantitative ultrasound (QUS); bone turnover markers; elderly; women
• ISSN: 0301-4460; 1464-5033
• DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2019.1607552

Background: Osteoporosis in women is a serious health problem. The relationships between biochemical markers of bone turnover and bone mineral density (BMD) in women have been reported, but no study has examined relationships between tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b (TRACP-5b) or bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP) and bone mass measured by quantitative ultrasound (QUS) in Japanese post-menopausal women. Aim: To investigate the serum TRACP-5b and BAP levels and to determine their associations with the heel stiffness index measured by QUS in post-menopausal women. Subjects and methods: The subjects were 510 post-menopausal women who were invited to participate in periodic health examinations in 2011-2013 (the Unzen Study). The heel stiffness index (bone mass) was measured by QUS. Serum samples were collected and TRACP-5b and BAP levels were measured. Results: Multiple regression analysis showed that a higher log (TRACP-5b) was correlated with a lower stiffness index (p = 0.014) and log (BAP) was not correlated with stiffness index after adjusting for covariates (p = 0.136). Conclusion: Higher rates of bone resorption are associated with a lower stiffness index in Japanese post-menopausal women. These results may indicate that high bone resorption affects bone mass more than bone formation, resulting in a low bone mass.