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Medical AI Inquiry: You was designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.  Labels: OBJECTIVE, METHODS, METHODS, METHODS, RESULTS. Meshes: Absorptiometry, Photon, Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Bone Density, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Interleukin-6, Middle Aged, Osteocalcin, Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal, Postmenopause.
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Do elevated plasma levels of interleukin-6 in postmenopausal women correlate with bone density? Context: To determine if plasma levels of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) across the lifespan correlate with bone density or plasma osteocalcin. Cross-sectional study. Forty-five healthy community-dwelling volunteers aged 25-74 years. Exclusion criteria were smoking use of medications known to affect bone metabolism (corticosteroids, heparin, thyroxine, thiazides, and anticonvulsants), and presence of chronic inflammatory disease. Bone density was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at the femoral neck and lumbar spine. Plasma levels of IL-6 and osteocalcin were determined by ELISA and RIA, respectively. Plasma levels of IL-6 increased with advancing age (P < .0001) and correlated with postmenopausal status (P < .0001). No correlation was observed between plasma IL-6 level and bone mineral density at either the lumbar spine or femoral neck, and none was observed with plasma osteocalcin.
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The elevation of plasma IL-6 observed following menopause is consistent with the proposed importance of estrogen in the regulation of IL-6. These findings do not provide support for a role of IL-6 in determination of peak bone density or subsequent development of osteoporosis. However, it is possible that plasma levels of IL-6 differ from those in the bone microenvironment. Final Decision: no