No major effect of estrogen receptor beta gene RsaI polymorphism on bone mineral density and response to alendronate therapy in postmenopausal osteoporosis.
Genetic factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. The genes involved are, however, still largely unknown. In the present study, we have investigated whether sequence variations in the estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) gene are associated with bone mineral density (BMD) and biochemical markers of bone turnover in 79 Slovenian postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. We also assessed the response by BMD and bone markers to antiresorptive therapy with bisphosphonate alendronate. All eight exons of ERbeta gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and screened for mutations by single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis. Potentially mutated samples were found only in exon 5 and sequence analysis identified the presence of a silent mutation in codon 328 with a nucleotide substitution GTG to GTA. For easier detection of this silent mutation, the RsaI restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was developed. The frequencies of genotypes were as follows: Rr 5.1% and RR 94.9%. Between both genotypes, no significant differences in baseline lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD or in bone markers osteocalcin and deoxypyridinoline were observed. Similarly, no significant difference between RR and Rr genotypes in BMD or bone markers after 1 year of therapy was found. The increase in lumbar spine BMD after therapy was the only parameter that approached statistical significance (P=0.099). Patients with genotype Rr showed a smaller increase compared to those with RR. Our results suggest that RsaI polymorphism of ERbeta gene is probably not an important genetic determinant of BMD and does not significantly influence the responsiveness to alendronate therapy.
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Barbara
B
Arko
Janez
J
Prezelj
Radovan
R
Komel
Andreja
A
Kocijancic
Janja
J
Marc
D000328:Adult; D019386:Alendronate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D015519:Bone Density / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific / Q000378:metabolism*; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000378:metabolism; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000235:genetics*; D015183:Restriction Mapping
D000596:Amino Acids; D017931:DNA Primers; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D015675:Osteocalcin; C036020:deoxypyridinoline; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific; C040158:GTAC-specific type II deoxyribonucleases; D019386:Alendronate