CP9-4 bone and new markers Flashcards
What is the purpose of bone?
Facilitates movement
Provides scaffolding for whole body
Protects organs
Source of important hormones and chemicals
Production of blood cells e.g. bone marrow
What is the composition of bone?
Formed of cortical bone = hard outer layer
And trabecular bone = spongy inner layer
How much of bone in the skeleton is cortical and trabecular?
Cortical = 80%
Trabecular = 20%
What cells are found in bone?
Bone forming
Bone resorbing
Bone co-ordinating
What is the extracellular composition of bone?
30% organic matrix mainly formed of osteoid collegan
70% inorganic components e.g. calcium and phosphate and minerals like Mg, Na and K
Why is bone in a constant state of turnover?
As it is dynamic with an extracellular matrix which causes mineralisation and leads to bone remodelling
What are oestoblasts?
Bone forming cells which:
Become osteocytes
Make osteoid
Mineralise organic matter
Communicate with other bone cells
Produce hormones
What are osteoclasts?
Resorbing cells which breakdown bone which are regulated by PTH (parathyroid hormone), calcitonin and IL-6
What are osteocytes?
Bone cell originating from osteoblasts which co-ordinates the osteoblasts and osteoclasts
How often is the whole skeleton replaced?
Every 10 years
What stimulates osteoclasts?
RANK
RANKL
What inhibits osteoclasts?
OPG
Denosumab
Which gender has a lower peak bone mass?
Females
What causes females to have a more rapid/accelerated loss of bone mass?
The menopause
What disease is more common in women due to lowered peak bone mass and accelerated bone loss?
Osteoporosis
How does bone formation and resorption change with age?
As age increases, bone formation decreases and resorption increases (more breakdown than production of bone so bones become weaker)
How is bone disease investigated?
With imaging - X ray, MRI and CT
Calculate bone mineral density/mass with DEXA to look at calcium
Biochemistry/ bloods to look at cellular turnover
Biopsy and qCT to assess microstructure of bone (rare)
What are examples of biochemical markers of bone formation/osteoblasts?
Products of active osteoblasts:
- alkaline phosphatase/ALP (TAP and BAP have to be specifically requested)
- osteocalcin
- procollagen type 1 pro peptides aka P1NP
What are examples of biochemical markers of bone re absorption/osteoclasts?
Segregation products of bone collagen:
- hydroxyproline
- puridinium crosslinks
- CTX aka cross linked telopeptides type 1 collagen
Osteoclast enzymes:
- TRACP 5b
- cathepsin K
Why do specific isoenzymes need to be measured when diagnostic doubt over raised ALP levels?
Don’t know if bone or liver increasing ALP so helps to distinguish when diagnostic doubt
What is bone alkaline phosphatase?
Phosphate involved in mineralisation. Released by osteoblasts when stiumlated by increases bone remodelling e.g. in fractures, growth spurts, Paget’s, hyperparathyroidism ,
What is P1NP?
What are collagen cross links (NTX and CTX)?
Cross linking molecules which are released with bone resorption. They increase in periods of high bone turnover, have diurnal variation but do not predict bone mineral density.
What does CTX represent?
Osteoclastic activity
What treatment can decrease CTX levels?
Anti-resorptive therapy
What are bone markers?
collagen related markers based primarily on type 1 collagen and reflect changes in skeletal metabolism. Some have significant intraindividual variability.