Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the associations of serum and bone zinc (Zn) and cuprum (Cu) with bone mineral density (BMD) and content (BMC), markers of bone turnover, and sex hormones. The study group comprised 144 men treated with total hip replacement due to hip osteoarthritis. We measured total, free, and bioavailable testosterone, estradiol, and sex-hormone-binding globulin (sex hormones), as well as parathyroid hormone, osteocalcin, carboxy terminal collagen crosslinks, and N-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (markers of bone turnover). Total body BMD, BMC, total and visceral fat, and appendicular skeletal mass (ASM) were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. ASM index, and total and visceral fat were positively correlated with BMD. Bone Zn correlated neither with sex hormones nor with bone turnover markers; however, it was positively associated both with BMD and with BMC, while bone Cu (as opposed to serum Cu) was not. In multiple regression, the ASM index, Zn/Cu ratio (in both the serum and the bone), and serum Cu concentration were significantly associated with BMD and BMC after adjustment for age and body mass index (BMI). Our results suggest that the Zn/Cu ratio in both the serum and the bone may exert a significant positive effect on total BMD and BMC.
Highlights
Bone mass and quality are determined by many genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors
The study was performed on patients aged 60–75 years with advanced OA and frequent coincidence of overweight/obesity
This is a typical cohort for hip replacement in terms of age, comorbidities, and indications for this procedure [20,21]
Summary
Bone mass and quality are determined by many genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors. It is believed that nutrition is an important modifiable factor in the development and maintenance of bone health and that an adequate intake of macronutrients, mainly proteins, as well as micronutrients, such as vitamins and trace minerals, is essential to support physiological bone remodelling. An adequate supply of vitamin D, vitamin K, and calcium was found to be crucial for bone acquisition and maintenance [3,4]. Much less is known about the impact on bone health of other micronutrients, such as zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu). Zn is a cofactor in metalloenzymes and an important contributor to bone health [4,5]
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