The article examines the issue of excretion of bone and cartilage metabolites in the urine of patients of different ages with osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine. Material and methods. 28 patients with osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine were examined. The 1st group had seven persons aged from 24 to 40, the 2nd group consisted of five persons from 42 to 49, the 3rd group was made of six persons aged 53-59, and the 4th group included ten persons aged 62-69. There were 8 men and 20 women among the patients. The diagnosis of osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine was established in a complex manner, taking into account the data of anamnesis, clinical examination, radiography and computer’s tomography. Results and discussion. We conducted the study of patients’ urine content of oxyproline, uronic acids, calcium, phosphorus and creatinine. The level of excretion of hydroxyproline in patients with osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine increased with age: in patients from 24 to 40 years – by 36.0 %, from 42 to 49 years – by 52.0 %, from 53 to 59 years – by 80.0 %, from 62 to 69 years – 2.28 times compared to the control group. Such dynamics of the hydroxyproline content in patients' urine is due to a gradual increase in the intensity of bone tissue destruction, since hydroxyproline itself is a component of bone collagen. The level of urinary excretion was increased in comparison with the control group patients aged 24 to 40 years – by 43.2 %, from 42 to 49 years – by 47.7 %, from 53 to 59 years – by 29.5 %, while in the oldest group of patients it did not differ from the control group. This is due to the predominance of inflammatory and destructive changes in the cartilaginous tissue of the intervertebral discs, which decreases with age as a result of their gradual mineralization and increased degenerative-degenerative disorders in the bone tissue of the spine. The level of phosphorus excretion in urine did not change, but the content of calcium in the urine was increased in comparison with the control group in patients from 53 to 59 years old in 2 times, from 62 to 60 years – by 40.0 %. An increase in calcium excretion with urine can be considered to be a sign of osteoporosis, which is confirmed by hyperoxyprolinuria. Creatinine urine in the group of patients aged from 24 to 40 years did not differ from the control group, from 42 to 49 years was reduced by 39,1 %, from 53 to 59 years – by 43.7 %. In the oldest age group, the level of creatinine excretion was reduced by 67.4 %, which may indicate a decrease in motor activity of patients, and possibly a decrease in excretory renal function. Conclusions. Thus, an increase in the level of excretion of hydroxyproline in the urine of patients with osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine reflects the catabolism of bone marrow collagen and increases with age. Excretion of uronic acid with urine was increased in groups of patients from 24 to 59 years, indicating inflammatory-destructive disorders in the cartilaginous tissue of the intervertebral discs. Increased excretion of calcium from the urine of the elderly age group from 53 to 69 years can be considered to be a sign of osteoporosis, and a decrease in excretion of creatinine may indicate a decrease in motor activity of patients and excretory renal function.
Keywords: osteochondrosis, age, urine, oxyproline, uronic acid, calcium, phosphorus, creatinine
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