Serum sclerostin levels associated with lumbar spine bone mineral density and bone turnover markers in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis

• Published in: Chinese medical journal Vol. 126; no. 13; pp. 2480 - 2484
• Main Authors: XU, Xiao-juan, SHEN, Lin, YANG, Yan-ping, LU, Fu-rong, ZHU, Rui, SHUAI, Bo, LI, Cheng-gang, WU, Man-xiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: China Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430022, China 05.07.2013
• Subjects: Aged; Bone Density; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins - blood; Bone Remodeling; Collagen Type I - blood; Female; Genetic Markers; Humans; Lumbar Vertebrae; Middle Aged; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal - blood; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal - metabolism; Peptide Fragments - blood; Peptides - blood; Procollagen - blood; 患者; 硬化; 绝经后; 腰椎; 蛋白水平; 血清; 骨密度; 骨质疏松症; bone mineral density; postmenopausal osteoporosis; sclerostin
• DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.0366-6999.20130104
• ISSN: 0366-6999; 2542-5641

Background Sclerostin, expressed exclusively by osteocytes, is a negative regulator of bone formation. To gain insights into the action of sclerostin in postmenopausal osteoporosis, we evaluated serum sclerostin levels in postmenopausal women and investigated its possible associations with bone turnover markers in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Methods We detected serum sclerostin, and measured lumbar spine bone mineral density in 650 Chinese postmenopausal women. We also assessed serum levels of 13-isomerized C-terminal crosslinking of type I collagen, intact N-terminal propeptide of type I collagen, N-mid fragment of osteocalcin, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and estradiol. Results Serum sclerostin levels were lower in postmenopausal osteoporotic women compared with non-osteoporotic postmenopausal women （（38.79＋7.43） vs. （52.86＋6.69） pmol/L, P 〈0.001）. Serum sclerostin was positively correlated with lumbar spine bone mineral density （r=0.391, P 〈0.001） and weakly negatively correlated with [3-isomerized C-terminal crosslinking of type I collagen, intact N-terminal propeptide of type I collagen, N-mid fragment of osteocalcin （t= -0.225, P 〈0.001; r= -0.091, P=0.046; r= -0.108, P=0.018; respectively） in postmenopausal osteoporosis. There was no significant association of serum sclerostin with age, body mass index, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and estradiol （r= -0.004, P=0.926; r=0.067, P=0.143; r=0.063, P=0.165; r= -0.045, P=0.324; respectively）.Conclusion Sclerostin may be involved in the pathogenesis of postmenopausal osteoporosis and may play a role in bone turnover.