BACKGROUND: Bone turnover markers have a potential clinical use in describing bone remodeling and in predicting fractures.

AIMS: In an elderly population ≥75 years with a fresh hip fracture, and in healthy controls, investigate bone turnover markers and their relation to each other, to vitamin D status and to bone mineral density (BMD).

METHODS: In a cross-sectional study serum levels of dickkopf-1 (DKK-1), sclerostin (SOST), osteoprotegerin (OPG), osteopontin (OPN), osteocalcin, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) were analyzed in 89 Swedish patients with a fresh hip fracture and in 82 healthy volunteers. Serum levels of bone markers were determined by Luminex technique.

RESULTS: S-25-hydroxyvitamin D (S-25(OH)D) was decreased in patients compared to controls (48 ± 21 vs. 76 ± 25 nmol/L, p < 0.001). SOST, but none of the other bone turnover markers correlated with BMD (r = 0.50, p < 0.001). Compared with controls, higher levels of OPG (488 ± 1.4 vs. 191 ± 1.4 ng/L, p < 0.001), OPN (69 ± 1.7 vs. 19 ± 1.4 µg/L, p < 0.001), DKK-1 (273 ± 1.7 vs. 168 ± 1.7 ng/L, p < 0.001), and lower levels of osteocalcin (5.8 ± 3.5 vs. 9.5 ± 3.6 µg/L, p < 0.001), were found in the fracture group. Levels of OPG, DKK-1 and SOST in both groups were positively associated. S-25(OH)D concentration was not found to be strongly associated with any of the bone markers.

CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to findings in other studies, we found no strong correlation between 25(OH)D and the investigated bone markers. Both in patients with a fresh hip fracture and in healthy elderly, DKK-1, SOST and OPG appear to be associated. This suggests a relevance in these relationships meriting further investigation.