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. 2007 May;18(5):641-7.
doi: 10.1007/s00198-006-0285-9. Epub 2006 Dec 1.

MRI-measured bone marrow adipose tissue is inversely related to DXA-measured bone mineral in Caucasian women

W Shen  1 , J Chen, M Punyanitya, S Shapses, S Heshka, S B Heymsfield
Affiliations

MRI-measured bone marrow adipose tissue is inversely related to DXA-measured bone mineral in Caucasian women

W Shen et al. Osteoporos Int. 2007 May.

Abstract

Introduction: Recent studies suggest that bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) might play a role in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. Previous research using regional magnetic resonance spectroscopy methods to measure BMAT has reported inconsistent findings on the relationship between BMAT and dual-energy absorptiometry (DXA)-measured bone mineral density (BMD).

Methods: In the present study, total body and pelvic BMAT were evaluated in 56 healthy women (age 18-88 yrs, mean +/- SD, 47.4 +/- 17.6 yrs; BMI, 24.3 +/- 4.2 kg/m(2)) with T1-weighted whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). BMD was measured using the whole-body DXA mode (GE Lunar DPX, software version 4.7).

Results: A strong negative correlation was observed between pelvic BMAT and BMD (total-body BMD, R = -0.743, P < 0.001; pelvic BMD, R = -0.646, P < 0.001), and between total-body BMAT and BMD (total-body BMD, R = -0.443, P < 0.001; pelvic BMD, R = -0.308, P < 0.001). The inverse association between pelvic BMAT and BMD remained strong after adjusting for age, weight, total body fat, and menopausal status (partial correlation: total-body BMD, R = -0.553, P < 0.001; pelvic BMD, R = -0.513, P < 0.001). BMAT was also highly correlated with age (pelvic BMAT, R = 0.715, P < 0.001; total-body BMAT, R = 0.519, P < 0.001).

Conclusion: MRI-measured BMAT is thus strongly inversely correlated with DXA-measured BMD independent of other predictor variables. These observations, in the context of DXA technical concerns, support the growing evidence linking BMAT with low bone density.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Example of segmented MRI of the pelvic region of a subject with a large volume of BMAT and lower BMD (left, 63 years old, body weight 69.4 kg, BMI 30.1 kg/m2, total–body BMD 0.95 g/cm2) and one with a small amount of BMAT and higher BMD (right, 59 years old, body weight 75.4 kg, BMI 26.9 kg/m2, BMD 1.19 g/cm2). The six images in each subject were acquired every 5 cm and extended from L4–L5 to the separation of legs. BMAT is highlighted in green
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Correlation between total-body BMD and pelvic BMAT
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Correlation between pelvic BMAT and age
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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