Abstract

Objective: To investigate the relationship between indices of zinc nutritive status and biochemical markers of bone turnover in older adult European subjects. Design: Use of baseline data from a multicentre prospective zinc intervention (ZENITH) study. Setting: Centres in France, Italy and Northern Ireland. Participants: A total of 387 healthy adults, aged 55-87 y. Methods: Zinc intake was assessed by 4-day recall records. Circulating and urinary biochemical zinc status measures were assessed by atomic absorption spectrophometry. Serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin were assessed by ELISA and urinary pyridinoline (Pyr) and deoxypyridinoline (Dpyr) by HPLC. Results: Zinc intake was negatively correlated with urinary Pyr and Dpyr (r= -0.298 and -0.304, respectively; P<0.0001), but was not correlated with bone formation markers. There was a tendency for serum zinc to be negatively correlated with urinary Dpyr (r= -0.211; P = 0.080). Erythrocyte zinc was negatively correlated with serum osteocalcin (r= -0.090; P<0.0001). None of the other correlations were significant. After adjustment for confounder (age, gender and research Centre) the only significant association that remained was between serum osteocalcin and erythrocyte zinc (P = -0.124; P=0.011). Conclusions: There was some, albeit inconsistent, evidence of a relationship between zinc nutritive status and bone turnover in the older adult participants of the ZENITH study.