title: Q89R polymorphism in the LDL receptor-related protein 5 gene is associated with spinal osteoarthritis in postmenopausal Japanese women.
abstract: METHODS
  An association study investigating the genetic etiology for spinal osteoarthritis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the association of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) causing an amino-acid change (Q89R) in the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5) coding region with spinal osteoarthritis.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway regulates bone density through a Wnt coreceptor LRP5. This pathway is also involved in cartilage development and homeostasis, suggesting that genetic variation in LRP5 gene may affect the pathogenesis of cartilage-related diseases, such as osteoarthritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the presence of osteophytes, endplate sclerosis, and narrowing of disc spaces in 357 Japanese postmenopausal women. Missense coding SNP for Q89R of LRP5 gene was determined using TaqMan polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that subjects without the R allele (QQ; n = 321) had a significantly lower osteophyte formation score than did subjects bearing at least one R allele (QR + RR; n = 36) (7.80 vs. 10.89, P = 0.0019 by analysis of covariance).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest that a genetic variation at the LRP5 gene locus is associated with spinal osteoarthritis, in line with the involvement of the LRP5 gene in the bone and cartilage metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomohiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Urano
authors.forename: Masataka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shiraki
authors.forename: Ken'ichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Narusawa
authors.forename: Takahiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Usui
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hosoi
authors.forename: Yasuyoshi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ouchi
authors.forename: Toshitaka
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inoue
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D026502:LDL-Receptor Related Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D060492:Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-5; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000235:genetics*; D025241:Spondylarthritis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D026502:LDL-Receptor Related Proteins; C555482:LRP5 protein, human; D060492:Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-5