Altered levels of biochemical indices of bone turnover and bone-related vitamins in patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
BACKGROUND
The pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease-associated osteopenia may be related to pathological rates of bone turnover; however, the literature shows mixed results.


OBJECTIVE
To compare bone biomarkers in inflammatory bowel disease patients (Crohn's disease: n = 68, and ulcerative colitis: n = 32, separately) with age- and sex-matched healthy controls.


METHODS
Patients and controls were recruited from Cork University Hospital and Cork City area, respectively.


RESULTS
Relative to that in their respective controls, Crohn's disease (n = 47) and ulcerative colitis (n = 26) patients (i.e. excluding supplement users) had significantly (P < 0.05-0.001) higher serum undercarboxylated osteocalcin (by 27% and 63%, respectively) and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (by 15% and 21%, respectively) and urinary Type I collagen cross-linked N-telopeptides concentrations (by 87% and 112%, respectively). Relative to that in their respective controls, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis patients had significantly (P < 0.01) lower serum total osteocalcin (by 20% and 42%, respectively) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (by 37% and 42%, respectively), while serum parathyroid hormone levels were similar. In the combined patient group (n = 100), undercarboxylated osteocalcin was positively associated with bone markers.


CONCLUSIONS
Both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis patients have altered bone turnover relative to that in healthy controls.
Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College, Cork, Ireland.
J
J
Gilman
F
F
Shanahan
K D
KD
Cashman
D000328:Adult; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D015519:Bone Density; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000652:urine; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000652:urine; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000652:urine; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000097:blood; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood; D010455:Peptides / Q000652:urine; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood
D015415:Biomarkers; D024042:Collagen Type I; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D010455:Peptides; C052929:collagen type I trimeric cross-linked peptide; D015675:Osteocalcin; D014807:Vitamin D; C104450:25-hydroxyvitamin D; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase