Résumé
To detect a specific and sensitive marker of bone turnover, this study was conducted on 60 healthy volunteer men classified according to age into three groups: The first group included 20 men in their third decade [with age range of 21-30 years], the second group included 20 men in their fifth decade [with age range of 41-50] and an elderly group included 20 men [age above 60 years]. Blood samples were collected after an overnight fast and serum was separated and kept frozen at -20C until analyzed for bone sialoprotein [BSP], osteocalcin, intact parathyroid hormone [PTH] and calcitonin by radioimmunoassay techniques. Serum BSP may be used as a novel sensitive and specific biochemical marker of bone turnover that may be used alone or in conjunction with osteocalcin in the routine investigations of the elderly for early prediction and follow up of senile osteoporosis