Serum sclerostin levels were positively correlated with fat mass and bone mineral density in Central South Chinese postmenopausal women

• Published in: Clinical endocrinology (Oxford) Vol. 76; no. 6; pp. 797 - 801
• Main Authors: Sheng, Zhifeng, Tong, Dejun, Ou, Yangna, Zhang, Hongbin, Zhang, Zhimin, Li, Shuang, Zhou, Jianlin, Zhang, Jian, Liao, Eryuan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.06.2012; Blackwell; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Absorptiometry, Photon; Age; Aged; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Biological and medical sciences; Body composition; Body Composition - physiology; Body fat; Body weight; Bone Density - physiology; Bone mineral content; Bone mineral density; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins - blood; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry; Endocrinopathies; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Femur; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic Markers; Hip; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Medical sciences; Menopause; Middle Aged; Osteoarticular system. Muscles; Osteoporosis; Ponderal index; Post-menopause; Postmenopause - blood; Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry; Regression analysis; Soft tissues; SOST protein; Spine (lumbar); Vertebrates: endocrinology; Asia; China; Human; Asiatic; Clinical biology; Postmenopause; South; Chinese; Female; Bone mineral density; Woman; Fat mass; Endocrinology
• ISSN: 0300-0664; 1365-2265
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2011.04315.x

Summary Objectives  To investigate the relationship between serum sclerostin level, body composition, and bone mineral density (BMD) in central south Chinese postmenopausal women. Methods  A cross‐sectional study was conducted on 260 healthy central southern Chinese postmenopausal women with vs without osteoporosis, aged 50–76 years old. Dual X‐ray absorptiometry was used to measure the bone mineral content and BMD of the whole body, lumbar spine and left femur, and total body soft tissue composition. Serum sclerostin levels were measured by a quantitative sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Results  Compared with women without osteoporosis, osteoporotic women had a significantly lower level of serum sclerostin (P = 0·001). Serum sclerostin levels were positively correlated with body weight, Ponderal index and fat mass. There was a positive correlation with the BMD of both the whole body and at various sites (P < 0·05), even after controlling for age, age at menopause, height and body weight. Multiple linear stepwise regression analysis showed that serum sclerostin level was the most significant determinant of both whole‐body and lumbar spine BMD, compared with age, age at menopause, fat mass and lean mass. Age had similar impact as serum sclerostin on hip BMD. Conclusions  This study showed that in central south Chinese postmenopausal women, serum sclerostin is lower in women with osteoporosis than without. Serum sclerostin is positively correlated with fat mass and BMD for the whole body, lumbar spine and hip.