Cytokine release from marrow mononuclear cells is negatively correlated to cortical elasticity in non-osteoporotic postmenopausal women

Activation of bone remodeling is likely to be under the control of mechanical factors acting, in part, through soluble local factors. We therefore investigated a relationship between cytokine production by marrow cells and bone elasticity. We studied 36 non-osteoporotic postmenopausal women undergoing hip arthroplasty for hip arthrosis (mean age. 68 +/- 8 years; lumbar BMD Z-score: +0.54 +/- 0.33 SD). Adherent marrow mononuclear cells were cultured for 48 hours with autologous plasma, and supernatants were harvested for PGE2, IL-1, TNF-alpha, and IL-6 measurements. Femoral neck cortical bones were removed during surgery for cortical histomorphometric evaluation and determination of elasticity indices (C-33) using ultrasonic transmission method. In this nonosteoporotic population, femoral neck longitudinal elasticity indices were inversely correlated to both cortical thickness (r = -0.58, P < 0.01) and cortical porosity (r = -0.33, P < 0.01). The longitudinal elasticity indices were also negatively correlated to basal IL-1 and TNF-alpha release by adherent mononuclear marrow cells (r = -0.59, P < 0.01; r = -0.60, P < 0.01, respectively). However, no relationship was found between the three cytokines tested and either cortical thickness or porosity. These data show a link between cortical biomechanical properties and local factors involved in bone remodeling. We suggest that increased bone elasticity decreases transmission of strain, which in turn decreases cytokine release from marrow cells. However, whether cytokines influence bone elasticity or vice versa remains to be demonstrated.