HYPERHOMOCYSTEINEMIA AND BONE MINERAL DENSITY: A CASE-CONTROL STUDY

Abstract

Objectives: To find out whether homocysteine has a direct effect on bone or it is an innocent bystander? The study was designed to investigate probable role of homocysteine on bone mineral density (BMD). Methodology: This a case-control study wherein, 30 patients with at least one densitometry criterion of osteoporosis in femoral neck or lumbar spine were enrolled as the case group along with another 30 normal subjects with normal BMD, as the control group. The patients of the two groups were matched for their ages and sex. In all eligible patients BMD was measured by DEXA and fasting serum homocysteine level were measured by Enzyme Immunoassay Kit. Results: The mean of serum level of homocysteine were 11.67 +/- 4.38 and 11.97 +/- 3.09 imol/l. in control and case groups respectively. The difference between two groups was not significant (P=0.761). Serum homocysteine level and BMC of various areas in case and control groups had no significant correlation [lumbar spine in control group (r= 0.025, p=0.9), lumbar spine in case group (r=0.071, p=0.716), femoral neck in control group (r=0.276, p=0.147), femoral neck in case group (r=0.001, p=0.998)]. Conclusion: Despite numerous studies about direct effect of homocysteine on increase of osteoporotic fracture risk, our study did not show a correlation between serum level of homocysteine and BMD. Due to multiplicity of factors affecting bone density, final conclusions need extensive investigations with attention to other confounding factors.