[Behavior of selected bio-elements in women with osteoporosis]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the concentration of calcium, magnesium, zinc and copper in serum, urine and hair in women with osteoporosis, and to find out whether deficiency of these bioelements correlates with BMD. The concentration of calcium, magnesium, zinc and copper was assessed in 80 women aged 40-68 years. The women had been menopausal for 9.3 years and had never undergone hormone replacement, drugs therapy or mineral supplementation. The bone mass density (BMD) in lumbar spine L2-L4 was measured in 80 postmenopausal women using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. According to BMD values all women were divided into two groups. The first group (50 persons) comprised women with osteoporosis. The second group included 30 women without osteoporosis. After an overnight fasting the levels of calcium, magnesium, zinc and copper in serum, in urine and in hair were measured by AAS. Concentration of osteocalcin and ionized calcium as well as magnesium was also measured in serum. Calcium, magnesium, zinc and copper excretions were expressed as a ratio of urinary creatine. Data were compared with Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney's test and significance was assessed at p < 0.05. The regression and correlation analysis was performed between BMD and level of bioelements. It was determined that the mean serum osteocalcin in the examined group (2.067 ng/ml) was higher than in the control group (1.602 ng/ml). It was also disclosed that there was a lower level of total (Tab. 1) and ionized magnesium in serum (Tab. 2) and reduced excretion of this element in urine (Tab. 4) of fasting women with osteoporosis. The concentrations of calcium, zinc and copper in serum (Tab. 1) and in urine (Tab. 4) in both groups were similar to laboratory normal range. Hair calcium and magnesium levels in examined group were lower in comparison with the control group (Tab. 3). Concentrations of zinc and copper in hair were similar in both groups (Tab. 3). The study found out that women with osteoporosis displayed magnesium deficiency. The results showed that highly significant correlation existed between magnesium and calcium. No significant relationship between BMD and the concentration of bioelements was observed.