HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 90/5/1440    most recent ajcn.2009.28116v1 Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Holstein, J. H Articles by Pohlemann, T. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Holstein, J. H Articles by Pohlemann, T. Agricola Articles by Holstein, J. H Articles by Pohlemann, T.

Low serum folate and vitamin B-6 are associated with an altered cancellous bone structure in humans^1,2,3

¹ From the Departments of Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery (JHH, CS, PG, TH, and TP) and Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (MH and WH), the Institute for Clinical and Experimental Surgery (JHH, CS, PG, TH, and MDM), and the Institute of Medical Biometrics, Epidemiology and Medical Informatics (SG and MFO), University of Saarland, Homburg/Saar, Germany; the ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia (MH); and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Knappschaftskrankenhaus Püttlingen, Püttlingen, Germany (KK and TS).

² Supported by the Institute for Clinical and Experimental Surgery, University of Saarland.

³ Address correspondence to JH Holstein, Department of Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Saarland, 66421 Homburg/Saar Germany. E-mail: joerg.holstein{at}uks.eu.

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.