Visceral adiposity is a predictor of parathyroid hormone levels in healthy adults.
OBJECTIVE
Parathyroid hormone (PTH) has been shown to correlate positively with fat mass, however there are no studies that have investigated whether this association is a result of, or is modified by, body fat distribution. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of PTH with several body composition indices, namely visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous adiposity (SCAT) as well as with lean mass and with serum leptin, which has been reported to increase PTH.


METHODS
This was a cross-sectional study in which PTH was measured by chemiluminescent assay; body fat and lean mass by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and abdominal fat by ultrasonography in 714 healthy adults aged 18-65 years. Serum leptin was measured by ELISA.


RESULTS
In a multivariate linear regression model that included height, age, gender, ethnicity, serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D, leptin levels, calcium, magnesium and phosphate concentrations, glomerular filtration rate, smoking status, and calcium and vitamin D supplementation as independent variables and PTH as the dependent variable, VAT (β = 0.094, p = 0.035) correlated significantly with PTH levels but SCAT (β = -0.045, p = 0.386) and body fat mass (β = 0.098, p = 0.126) did not. Leptin did not correlate with PTH (β = 0.013, p = 0.832) in this regression model.


CONCLUSIONS
Plasma PTH is significantly associated with VAT in healthy adults. In view of the association of PTH with increased cardiovascular mortality, it is important to investigate this association further.
Department of Chemical Pathology, National Health Laboratory Service and University of the Witwatersrand, Room 3B 41, Third Floor, Medical School, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa. jaya.george@wits.ac.za.
J A
JA
George
MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
S A
SA
Norris
Department of Chemical Pathology, National Health Laboratory Service and University of the Witwatersrand, Room 3B 41, Third Floor, Medical School, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa.
M
M
Toman
Department of Chemical Pathology, National Health Laboratory Service and University of the Witwatersrand, Room 3B 41, Third Floor, Medical School, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa.
T
T
Snyman
Department of Chemical Pathology, National Health Laboratory Service and University of the Witwatersrand, Room 3B 41, Third Floor, Medical School, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa.
N J
NJ
Crowther
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D001823:Body Composition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D013851:Thinness / Q000503:physiopathology*
D015415:Biomarkers; D020738:Leptin; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone
Body fat; Parathyroid hormone; Visceral fat