Association of Osteoprotegerin Gene Polymorphisms with bone Mass in Postmenopausal Korean Women

Objective : To examine the relationship between Osteoprotegerin gene polymorphisms, and bone mineral density (BMD). Methods : Restriction fragment length polymorphisms at the Osteoprotegerin , , gene site, and BMD at the lumbar spine and proximal femur were analyzed in 229 postmenopausal Korean women (81 normal, 111 osteopenic and 37 osteoporotic patients). BMDs were measured by DEXA. The subjects were divided in normal, osteopenic and osteoporotic on the basis of the T-score values according to the classification of the World Health Organization (WHO). Results : The genotype distribution of , and polymorphisms in all postmenopausal women was as follows: AA 54.6%, AG 37.1%, GG 8.3%, T/T 17.5%, T/C 44.1%, C/C 38.4%; GG 52.4%, GC 38.0%, CC 9.6%, respectively. Significant differences in the distribution of A/A and A/G genotype among osteoporotic group were observed. No significant differences in the distribution of and genotypes among three groups were observed. After adjusting for potential confounding factors such as age, BMI, and menopause duration, polymorphism was significantly associated with BMD at the lumbar spine in normal and osteoporotic patients and BMD at the femur neck and wards triangle in normal patients, and polymorphism BMD at the trochanter in all groups and BMD at the femur neck in osteopenic and osteoporotic patients, and BMD at the wards triangle and trochanter in osteoporotic patients. But There was no relationship between gene polymorphism, and BMD. Conclusion : These findings suggest that osteoprotegerin gene polymorphisms may be an important contributor to the variation of BMD among postmenopausal Korean women.