title: Association of bone dimensions with a parathyroid hormone gene polymorphism in women.
abstract: We have recently shown that bone radiogrammetric dimensions are associated with vitamin D receptor gene polymorphism. Since parathyroid hormone (PTH) plays a central role in maintaining calcium homeostasis and in bone remodeling, we investigated whether bone radiogrammetric dimensions are associated with a PTH gene polymorphism in 91 healthy Caucasian women, who were premenopausal at entry into the study. These women had assessments of bone by radiogrammetry every five years for a median period of 20 years (range 4-27). DNA was extracted from white blood cells. A segment of the PTH gene with a polymorphism at a BstBI restriction site was amplified by polymerase chain reaction. Diameter, cortical thickness and cross-sectional area at standard sites of the metacarpals, radius and femur were measured with radiogrammetry. Higher metacarpal diameter and cross-sectional cortical area, and a slower decrease in radial cortical area with age, were associated with the absence of the BstBI restriction site of the PTH gene. PTH gene polymorphism accounts for about 7-9% of the total variances of bone dimensional variables. These findings suggest that the dimensions of long bones are influenced by allelic variations in the PTH gene or in genes nearby.
authors.affiliation: Osteoporosis Research Center, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Barger-Lux
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Heaney
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008663:Metacarpus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011859:Radiography; D011884:Radius / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012044:Regression Analysis
chemical_list: D010281:Parathyroid Hormone