New evidence that serum β2-microglobulin behaves as a biological marker of bone remodelling in women

Abstract. Having observed that serum β ₂-microglobulin concentration correlates with serum tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) concentration in postmenopausal osteoporosis, and that metacarpal endosteal diameter is dependent on bone resorption, we correlated the two biochemical parameters with the radiographic parameter to determine if β ₂-microglobulin behaves like a biological marker of bone remodelling. In 105 women (mean age 68±4 years) consisting of 60 normal postmenopausal women and 55 osteoporotic postmenopausal women, there was a significant positive correlation between metacarpal endosteal diameter and these two biochemical values ( r = 0.66 with β ₂-microglobulin and r = 0.68 with TRAP in the osteoporotic postmenopausal women: r = 0.48 with β ₂-microglobulin and r = 0.56 with TRAP in the normal postmenopausal women: P < 0.001 for all comparisons). All three measurements were significantly higher ( P < 0.001) in the osteoporotic postmenopausal women than in the normal postmenopausal women. These findings show that serum β ₂-microglobulin behaves like a biological marker of remodelling.