Assessment of Serum Vitamin B12 Levels and Other Metabolic Parameters in Subjects With Different Values of Bone Mineral Density.

Background: Controversial experimental and clinical evidences have raised questions regarding the role of B12 and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) on osteoblast function and bone health. In this study, we aimed to determine if the serum levels of B12, IGF-1 and procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide (P1NP) are associated with different degrees of bone mineral density (BMD).

Methods: A total of 287 subjects (190 women and 97 men; mean age 53 years) volunteered for evaluation of BMD and serum levels of B12, IGF-1 and P1NP; BMD at lumbar spine and proximal femur was evaluated by means of dual-energy X-ray absorption (DEXA) and expressed as T-score; serum concentrations of vitamin B12 and IGF1 were measured with a chemiluminescent immunoassay on Access II Beckman Coulter and DiaSorin Liaison XL analyzers, respectively; P1NP was assessed in 61 women and 35 men with reduced T-score on Roche Modular platform.