Comparison of various biochemical measurements with bone mineral densitometry and quantitative ultrasound for the assessment of vertebral fracture.

We have retrospectively studied postmenopausal elderly Japanese women (n = 288; age range, 60-75 years, 65.8 +/- 4.5 [mean +/- SD]) for the evaluation of biochemical measurements in assessment of bone mass and vertebral fracture, comparing with several bone mineral measurements and quantitative ultrasound (QUS) measurement. Several biochemical parameters [red cell count (RBC), hemoglobin (HB), albumin (ALB), and cholesterol (CHO)] positively correlated with bone mass parameters, but only serum cholesterol showed association with the presence of vertebral fracture. Urinary deoxypyridinoline (DPYD) and n-telopeptide (NTx) showed moderate negative correlation with bone mass parameters, and DPYD showed association with vertebral fracture. All bone mineral measurements (lumbar spine, total body, femoral neck by DXA, calcaneal bone by SXA, distal radius by pQCT) and QUS measurement (os calcaneus by two different QUS machines) showed a higher odds ratio and high chi2 value in logistic regression analysis for association with vertebral fracture. Thus, bone mass measurement is the principal method for assessment of fracture risk, and biochemical measurement should be used for motivation of further bone mass measurement. In biochemical measurements, measurement of serum cholesterol is cheap and easy, and thus might have an advantage, although further study is necessary.