Second half of bone turnover
If osteocalcin reflects the creation of bone, then deoxypyridinoline shows its destruction. It is part of the cross-links of type I collagen and is released during bone resorption, after which it is excreted unchanged by the kidneys. The key advantage is high specificity: DPD is found almost exclusively in bone and dentin, so its level is not distorted by processes in other tissues. The indicator is used to assess the rate of bone loss in osteoporosis, postmenopause, hyperparathyroidism and metastatic bone lesions, as well as to monitor antiresorptive therapy - a decrease in DPD after 3 months confirms the effectiveness of treatment. The material is the second morning portion of urine.
How to prepare to donate blood
- on an empty stomach 8–12 hours, you can drink water
- Eliminate alcohol and intense exercise per day
- no smoking in an hour
- donate blood before physiotherapy, x-rays and massage
- Take medications in advance by agreeing with your doctor
How to read the result
Reference values depend on the method and equipment of the laboratory, so it is correct to compare results only within the same laboratory. A deviation of a few percent from the normal limit in itself rarely matters - the overall picture and dynamics are important.
The analysis must be interpreted by a doctor: an isolated indicator without a clinical context is often misleading and leads to unnecessary examinations.