title: Role of RANK ligand in mediating increased bone resorption in early postmenopausal women.
abstract: Studies in rodents have implicated various cytokines as paracrine mediators of increased osteoclastogenesis during estrogen deficiency, but increases in RANKL, the final effector of osteoclastogenesis, have not been demonstrated. Thus, we isolated bone marrow mononuclear cells expressing RANKL on their surfaces by two-color flow cytometry using FITC-conjugated osteoprotegerin-Fc (OPG-Fc-FITC) as a probe. The cells were characterized as preosteoblastic marrow stromal cells (MSCs), T lymphocytes, or B lymphocytes by using Ab's against bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP), CD3, and CD20, respectively, in 12 premenopausal women (Group A), 12 early postmenopausal women (Group B), and 12 age-matched, estrogen-treated postmenopausal women (Group C). Fluorescence intensity of OPG-Fc-FITC, an index of the surface concentration of RANKL per cell, was increased in Group B over Groups A and C by two- to threefold for MSCs, T cells, B cells, and total RANKL-expressing cells. Moreover, in the merged groups, RANKL expression per cell correlated directly with the bone resorption markers, serum C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen and urine N-telopeptide of type I collagen, in all three cell types and inversely with serum 17beta-estradiol for total RANKL-expressing cells. The data suggest that upregulation of RANKL on bone marrow cells is an important determinant of increased bone resorption induced by estrogen deficiency.
authors.affiliation: Endocrine Research Unit, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
authors.forename: Guitty
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eghbali-Fatourechi
authors.forename: Sundeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khosla
authors.forename: Arunik
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanyal
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Lacey
authors.forename: B Lawrence
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Riggs
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000209:etiology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000209:etiology*; D053244:Osteoprotegerin; D053245:RANK Ligand; D053246:Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D053244:Osteoprotegerin; D053245:RANK Ligand; D053246:Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; C505686:TNFRSF11A protein, human; C506030:TNFRSF11B protein, human; C505653:TNFSF10 protein, human; C505688:TNFSF11 protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha