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Relationship Between Bone Markers and Knee Cartilage Volume in Healthy Men
YUANYUAN WANG, PETER R. EBELING, FAHAD HANNA, RICHARD O'SULLIVAN, and FLAVIA M. CICUTTINI
ABSTRACT.
Objective. To determine the relationship between biochemical bone markers and knee cartilage volume and cartilage loss over 2 years; and to investigate whether bone markers are useful to predict the cartilage loss in healthy men. Methods. Forty healthy Caucasian men (mean age 52.3 yrs) with no symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA) were recruited. Each subject had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed on his dominant knee at baseline and 2 years later. Serum level of osteocalcin (OC), urinary levels of pyridinoline (PYD) and deoxypyridinoline (DPD), and total body bone mineral content (BMC) were measured at baseline. Tibial plateau bone size was measured at baseline. Tibial cartilage volume was measured at baseline and at followup, by means of image processing. Results. Twenty-eight men (70%) completed the longitudinal MRI component of the study. At baseline, no significant associations were observed between values of serum OC or urine PYD and DPD and tibial cartilage volume. Higher baseline serum OC level tended to be associated with a decreased rate of cartilage loss (p = 0.06); no significant association was shown between baseline urine PYD and DPD and tibial cartilage loss, after adjusting for age, body mass index, total body BMC, and tibial plateau bone size. Conclusion. Higher baseline serum OC level tended to be associated with a decreased rate of cartilage loss, suggesting that increased bone formation may protect against tibial cartilage loss over 2 years. Studies are needed to determine the role of bone metabolism in the pathogenesis of knee OA. (J Rheumatol 2005;32:2200-4) Key Indexing Terms:
OSTEOCALCIN From the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Central and Eastern Clinical School, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne; Graduate School of Integrative Medicine, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn; Departments of Diabetes and Endocrinology, and Medicine, University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville; NHMRC Centre for Clinical Research Excellence for the Study of Women's Health, Monash University and the Jean Hailes Foundation, Clayton; and the MRI Unit, Mayne Health Diagnostic Imaging Group, Epworth Hospital, Richmond, Australia. Supported by the Arthritis Foundation of Australia and the National Health and Medical Research Council. Y. Wang, MMed, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University; P.R. Ebeling, FRACP, MD, Departments of Diabetes and Endocrinology and Medicine, University of Melbourne; F. Hanna, BSc, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University; R. O'Sullivan, FRACR, MD, MRI Unit, Mayne Health Diagnostic Imaging Group; F.M. Cicuttini, FRACP, PhD, Associate Professor, Head, Chronic Diseases Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University. Address reprint requests to Dr. F. Cicuttini, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University Central and Eastern Clinical School, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia. E-mail: flavia.cicuttini@med.monash.edu.au Accepted for publication June 27, 2005. |