Bone turnover markers (BTM) may give information
on bone formation and resorption, risk of fracture and response to treatments.
BTMs have been extensively studied as markers in the diagnosis and monitoring
of osteoporosis (OP), and resulted potentially useful as tools to evaluate the
estimation of fracture future risk, although their significance was essentially
demonstrated helpful to monitor efficacy of anti-OP treatments. Other
possible application includes the prediction rate of bone loss, the
identification of secondary OP, the improvement of targeted treatments and
patient compliance, although other data are needed in such areas.
However, they are influenced by a number of
pathophysiological factors, and by analytical aspects, still need to be
overcome to extend their application and significance in the clinical practice.
Thus, BTMs practical use requires careful
awareness of their advantages as well as their limitations to interpret results
produced by the laboratory.The present review aim to describe the most commonly
used serum bone formation and resorption biochemical markers, discuss their
advantages and disadvantages and give practical information on their use and
result interpretation in the laboratory and clinical settings.
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