Estrogen receptor alpha and beta polymorphisms: is there an association with bone mineral density, plasma lipids, and response to postmenopausal hormone therapy?
OBJECTIVE
A cross-sectional segregation analysis of polymorphisms in the estrogen receptor (ER) genes (Pvull and Xbal in ERalpha, and Alul in ERAbeta with bone mineral density in the lumbar spine and forearm and with lipid profile was performed in 1098 postmenopausal women. Additionally, in a subpopulation of 280 women, who completed 1 year of treatment with estrogen plus progestin, the association between genotypes and the response to treatment in both plasma lipids and bone was investigated. In another untreated subpopulation of 443 women, genotype influence on the prevalence of vertebral fractures and on annual rate of bone loss during a mean follow-up period of 11 years was estimated.


RESULTS
Baseline plasma lipids, bone mineral density, annual rate of bone loss and prevalence of spinal fractures were not significantly associated with polymorphisms in the ERbeta gene. The ERA polymorphism was significantly associated with bone loss from the distal forearm (P = 0.04) but not with bone loss from the spine. After 1 year of treatment with hormone therapy there was also a significant association between the ERbeta polymorphism and the response in total cholesterol (P = 0.02); while the ERalpha gene polymorphisms did not significantly influence the response to hormone therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
In a large white population of postmenopausal women, ERalpha gene polymorphisms were not associated with bone mineral density or lipid profile at baseline or after hormone therapy. Conversely, the ERbeta genotype appeared to segregate with bone loss from the forearm and to modulate the decrease in total cholesterol during hormone therapy.
Silvestri
Sandra
S
Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Thomsen
Anne Bloch
AB
Gozzini
Alessia
A
Bagger
Yu
Y
Christiansen
Claus
C
Brandi
Maria Luisa
ML
D015519:Bone Density; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000235:genetics*; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000235:genetics*; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D014280:Triglycerides; D004247:DNA; D002784:Cholesterol