title: [Correlation between vertebral bone marrow fat and abdomen fat: a prospective study].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the correlation between the lumbar bone marrow fat and abdominal fat.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 68 individuals (32 men and 36 women, aged 21-74 years with a median of 49.5 years) were included in this study. All the subjects underwent spectroscopic examination of the third lumber vertebra with the single voxel method on a 1.5T MR scanner to measure the fat fraction (FF%). Quantitative CT was also performed for measurement of the abdomen subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT). The measurements were compared between subjects aged ≥50 years and those below 50 years, respectively,in male or female subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In male subjects, BMI, FF%, VAT or SAT showed no significant differences between the two age groups (P>0.05), and FF% was not correlated with BMI, VAT or SAT (r=0.109, 0.034, 0.066, respectively; P>0.05). In the female subjects, BMI, FF%, VAT and SAT differed significantly between the two age groups (P<0.05), and in ≥50 years group, FF% showed a positive correlation with VAT (r=0.499, P<0.05) but was not correlated with SAT (r=0.221, P>0.05); in<50 years group, FF% was not correlated with VAT or SAT (r=0.076, -0.067, respectively; P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FF% is positively correlated with VAT in female subjects aged beyond 50 years, but is not correlated with VAT or SAT in male subjects or in younger female subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University/Academy of Orthopedics of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou 510630, China. E-mail: ddautumn@126.com.
authors.forename: Xiao-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yin-Xia
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Wen-Ji
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Ling-Yan
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jie-Wen
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Xiong-Guang
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Shao-Lin
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000502:physiology*; D008161:Lumbosacral Region; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013131:Spine; D050507:Subcutaneous Fat, Abdominal / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult