Parkinson James R, Thanaj Marjola, Basty Nicolas, Whitcher Brandon, Thomas E Louise, Bell Jimmy D
Research Centre for Optimal Health School of Life Sciences University of Westminster London UK.
Obes Sci Pract. 2025 Aug 16;11(4):e70088. doi: 10.1002/osp4.70088. eCollection 2025 Aug.
Vertebral bone marrow (VBM) plays a critical role in bone homeostasis and metabolic health. Alterations in VBM fat and iron composition have been linked to age-related metabolic and musculoskeletal disorders, yet remain underexplored in large population-based studies.
This study aimed to assess VBM adipose tissue and iron concentration in the UK Biobank imaging cohort ( = 26,524) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
VBM adipose tissue using two approaches: fat fraction (FF) measured from 2-point Dixon MRI images and proton density fat fraction (PDFF) from multi-echo MRI scans, along with iron concentration from multi-echo MRI images, were measured. Sex-specific relationships between VBM measures, anthropometric and lifestyle factors as well as disease status were explored using correlation and linear regression analyses.
VBM FF and PDFF were higher, whereas VBM iron concentration was lower in participants with osteoporosis and type-2 diabetes (T2D; < 0.00016). VBM FF and PDFF were positively associated with visceral adipose tissue and T2D and were inversely associated with spine bone mineral density (BMD) and total muscle ( < 0.00016) in both sexes; however, positive associations with smoking were observed only in women. VBM iron concentration was significantly positively associated with visceral adipose tissue, spine BMD, and alcohol intake, but negatively associated with T2D in men only.
These findings enhance the understanding of VBM measures in metabolic health assessments, highlighting their role as potential indicators of metabolic and musculoskeletal health.
椎体骨髓（VBM）在骨骼稳态和代谢健康中起着关键作用。VBM脂肪和铁成分的改变与年龄相关的代谢和肌肉骨骼疾病有关，但在基于人群的大型研究中仍未得到充分探索。
本研究旨在使用磁共振成像（MRI）评估英国生物银行成像队列（n = 26,524）中的VBM脂肪组织和铁浓度。
采用两种方法测量VBM脂肪组织：从两点 Dixon MRI图像测量脂肪分数（FF），从多回波MRI扫描测量质子密度脂肪分数（PDFF），以及从多回波MRI图像测量铁浓度。使用相关性和线性回归分析探讨VBM测量值、人体测量和生活方式因素以及疾病状态之间的性别特异性关系。
骨质疏松症和2型糖尿病（T2D；P < 0.00016）患者的VBM FF和PDFF较高，而VBM铁浓度较低。VBM FF和PDFF与内脏脂肪组织和T2D呈正相关，与脊柱骨密度（BMD）和总肌肉量呈负相关（P < 0.00016）；然而，仅在女性中观察到与吸烟呈正相关。VBM铁浓度与内脏脂肪组织、脊柱BMD和酒精摄入量显著正相关，但仅在男性中与T2D呈负相关。
这些发现增进了对VBM测量在代谢健康评估中的理解，突出了它们作为代谢和肌肉骨骼健康潜在指标的作用。
