Affiliations: Department of Pediatrics and Maulana Azad Medical
College and Associated Lok Nayak and G.B. Pant Hospital, New Delhi, India | HOD Department of Endocrinology, Institute of Nuclear
Medicine and Allied Science (INMAS), New Delhi, India
Note: [] Corresponding author: Pradeep K. Sharma, Department of
Pediatrics and Maulana Azad Medical College and Associated Lok Nayak and
G.B.Pant Hospital, New Delhi, 110002, India. Tel.: +91 9868797049; Fax: +91 11
25752885; E-mail: drsharma025@gmail.com
Abstract: Adolescence is a critical time for peak bone mass accrual. During
puberty the skeletal growth results in the process of bone modeling, remodeling
and longitudinal growth which leads to considerable changes in the levels of
bone formation and resorption markers. The study was aimed to analyze the
levels of bone markers, bone density and their relation to puberty amongst our
population. Eighty four healthy boys with a mean age of 14.36+1.97 years (range
11–18 yrs) were evaluated. The bone metabolism markers measured by ELISA were
serum osteocalcin (BGP), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP),
carboxyterminal propeptide of type I collagen (CICP), deoxypyridinoline (DPD).
Bone density at forearm and calcaneum were measured by Dual Energy X-ray
Absorptiometry. Bone formation and resorption markers were raised during all
stages of puberty, peaking at stage 3 and declining gradually from stages 4 and
5 onwards whereas the mean bone density continued to increase even beyond stage
3 of puberty. We observed a positive correlation between age, height and weight
and bone density. Significant inverse correlations were seen between bone
formation markers and bone density at both sites. No correlation was observed
between bone density and bone resorption markers. During puberty bone mineral
density increases significantly. Though significant positive correlation was
observed between age, height and weight, bone density, age and weight remain
the best predictors of bone mineral density at distal forearm and calcaneum.
Keywords: Bone markers, bone mineral density, puberty, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)
