Differences in axial bone mineral density, serum levels of sex steroids, and bone metabolism between postmenopausal and age- and body size-matched premenopausal subjects.

The present study was designed to investigate the differences in serum levels of sex steroids, bone metabolism, and bone mineral density (BMD) between 22 premenopausal subjects and 21 age- and body size-matched postmenopausal subjects. Dual photon absorptiometry (DPA) demonstrated total body BMD significantly decreased in postmenopausal subjects. It was also found that not only spinal BMD as assessed by DPA, but also total third lumbar BMD and third lumbar trabecular BMD as measured by quantitative computed tomography (QCT) significantly decreased in these subjects. In postmenopausal subjects, the urinary-hydroxyproline/creatinine ratio increased significantly, which suggested that bone resorption had been stimulated, and serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALPase) and osteocalcin also significantly increased, which suggested a stimulation of bone formation. Consequently, the reduction in BMD was thought to result from a negative balance of bone resorption versus bone formation, or a high turnover of bone metabolism. Androgens were not confirmed to participate in these changes in bone metabolism, but the reduction in serum levels of estradiol, as a major factor, and the reduction in serum levels of estrone, as a participating factor, were assumed to result in an increase in bone resorption in excess of bone formation.