Predictive value of serum inflammatory biomarkers in postmenopausal osteoporosis: A cross-sectional study in northwest Iran

The purpose of this study was to compare the inflammatory biomarkers in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and those with normal bone mineral density (BMD). A total of 850 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 65 were randomly selected for participation in this cross-sectional investigation. 100 women displayed normal BMD, while 101 were diagnosed with osteoporosis, as determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Biochemical techniques were used to quantify tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) levels, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and interleukin-6. The area under the curve (AUC) for the diagnosis of osteoporosis was calculated using receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curves. A significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of age, menopause age, education level, and BMI (p < 0.005). Moreover, TNF-α (p = 0.026) and hs-CRP (p < 0.001) levels were significant differences between two groups. The logistic regression analysis adjusted for the confounders showed that only the elevation of hs-CRP had a significant effect on the risk of osteoporosis (OR (95 % CI):42.41 (12.66-142.3), p < 0.001). ROC analysis demonstrated that at the cut-off point of 0.415, the sensitivity and specificity values of 83.2 % and 82.2 % were obtained, respectively, for hs-CRP. hs-CRP is a valuable test for screening osteoporosis in postmenopausal women due to its accuracy and cost-effectiveness.