| Objective To investigate the general trend and distribution of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b (TRACP-5b) and cathepsin K (CTSK) in randomly selected healthy pre-menopausal women in Southwest China, and to determine the effect of menopausal status on TRACP-5b and CTSK. Methods A total of 2125 women were studied, including 1557 pre- menopausal and 568 post-menopausal women, respectively, and their age was from 20 to 79 years old. Blood samples of all studied women were collected under standardized condition. Serum content of TRACP-5b and CTSK was measured with ELISA method. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine (L1–L4) and the femoral neck was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Results With the increase of age, TRACP-5b and CTSK increased moderately and gradually. TRACP-5b and CTSK remained stable after 60 years of age. Compared with those in premenopausal women, serum TRACP-5b, CTSK, and intact PTH increased significantly in postmenopausal women (P<0.05), while Mg level decreased significantly (P<0.05). Compared with those in premenopausal women, TRACP-5b and CTSK levels increased significantly in women with different years after menopause (P<0.05). Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis showed that the influential factors of TRACP-5b included age, BMI, FSH, LH, and PTH, and factors influencing CTSK included age, BMI, FSH, LH, and PTH. Conclusion The results of reference interval values of TRACP-5b and CTSK may help to evaluate the long-term bone turnover rate in women in Southwest China. |