Systemic Inflammation: A Risk Factor for Osteoporosis in Pre- and Post-menopausal Women

Background: Inflammatory markers like Interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF α) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs CRP), play an important role in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between markers of inflammation, BMD and to correlate these markers with estradiol levels in pre- and post-menopausal women. Methods: A total of 169 subjects with low BMD along with 170 age matched controls were studied. Serum concentrations of hs CRP, IL-6, TNF α and estradiol levels were measured by ELISA method. Results: Bone specific ALP, acid phosphatase, hsCRP, IL-6 and TNF α, levels were significantly high in osteoporotic subjects (p<0.05) when compared with controls. hsCRP levels were positively correlated with IL-6 (r = 0.247, p <0.001) and TNF α levels (r =0.397, p< 0.001) in osteoporotic women. Conclusion: Inflammation is associated with low bone mass and therefore an independent risk factor for osteoporosis.