[Biochemical analysis of bone and mineral metabolism in liver cirrhosis]

We investigated the disorder of bone and mineral metabolism in 29 patients with liver cirrhosis who were classified into two subgroups with (group 1, n = 13) or without (group 2, n = 13) osteopenia according to the method of Jikei. Serum levels of osteocalcin level, bone-type alkaline phosphatase activity and calcium concentration in serum and urine in these patients and 25 normal control subjects were determined. Serum osteocalcin level and bone-type alkaline phosphatase activity were elevated in group 1 compared with those in group 2 and normal control subjects. Serum and urine calcium levels in group 1 were similar to those in group 2. However calcium-creatinine ratio in urine was higher in group 1 than in group 2. These present observations indicate that osteopenia in patients with liver cirrhosis is due to high turnover of bone metabolism.