BONE REMODELING MARKERS AS PREDICTORS OF BONE METABOLIC CHANGES IN MALES WITH DIABETIC OSTEOPATHY

Abstract

Diabetic osteopathy is one of the little studied complications of diabetes mellitus (DM), which leads to common lowtrauma fractures and, as a consequence, disability and death. The level of insulin is connected with bone functional and morphological changes followed by decreased bone mineral density (BMD) in the early stages of diabetic osteopathy. Objective: to study bone morphofunctional properties in males with type 1 and 2 DM (T1DM and T2DM). Subjects and methods. Examinations were made in 41 male patients with T1DM and 52 male patients with T2DM without a history of fractures. Their age varied from 40 to 70 years (mean age, 55.8±0.7 years and 58.4±0.9 years, respectively). A control group consisted of 34 patients (mean age, 55.9±0.9 years) without a history of DM. Patients with other endocrine disorders, end-stage complications, or chronic liver and kidney diseases were excluded from the investigation. BMD was determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Serum bone remodeling markers (procollagen type 1 amino-terminal propeptide and C-terminal telopeptide), as well as 25(OH)D, parathyrin, insulin, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and electrolytes (Ca2+, P+) were evaluated. Results and discussion. An association of BMD with renal function, HbA1c, and body mass index was observed in patients with T2DM. In the T1MD group, BMD was closely related to insulin deficiency and was significantly lower than that in the control group. In patients with vitamin D deficiency, BMD was significantly lower than in those with normal vitamin D levels (p<0.05). The patients with T1DM displayed both a decrease in BMD (p<0.05) and a pronounced change in the levels of bone markers (p<0.05). Those with T2DM had impaired bone remodeling processes, which was determined by the level of these markers (p<0.05) and observed in the presence of normal BMD due to the complex pathophysiology of the underlying disease. Conclusion. Vitamin D deficiency, insufficient and decreased insulin sensitivity, hyperglycemia, and overweight are important causes of osteopathy in patients with DM. The markers of bone remodeling may become promising indicators for diagnosing osteopathy, but additional studies are needed to elaborate recommendations for their use in routine practice in order to predict and prevent this complication of DM.

Keywords

• diabetic osteopathy
• bone remodeling markers
• bone mineral density