title: Circulating activin-A is elevated in postmenopausal women with low bone mass: the three-month effect of zoledronic acid treatment.
abstract: Activin-A is expressed in bone and seems to regulate osteoclastogenesis. In this study, serum activin-A was increased in postmenopausal women with low bone mass and was positively correlated to age and negatively to lumbar spinal bone mineral density (BMD). Serum activin-A levels did not change 3 months after zoledronic acid infusion.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The aims of the study were to evaluate prospectively the circulating activin-A levels in postmenopausal women with low bone mass and explore possible correlations with clinical and laboratory data, as well as the 3-month effect of zoledronic acid infusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Postmenopausal women with low bone mass assigned to receive zoledronic acid infusion (Patients, n = 47) and age-matched, postmenopausal women with normal bone mass (Controls, n = 27) were recruited on an outpatient basis. Main outcome measurement was serum activin-A levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum activin-A was higher in patients at baseline compared to controls (p < 0.001) and activin-A in the serum of patients and controls was positively correlated with age (Spearman's coefficient of correlation [rs] = 0.325; p = 0.005) and negatively with lumbar spinal (LS) BMD (rs = -0.425; p < 0.001). In multiple linear regression analysis, only age (B = 8.93; 95 % CI = 4.39-13.46; p < 0.001) was associated with serum activin-A levels at baseline, independent from group (patients or controls), previous anti-osteoporotic treatment, LS BMD and follicle-stimulating hormone. Circulating activin-A levels were not affected 3 months after zoledronic acid infusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum activin-A is increased in postmenopausal women with low bone mass compared with postmenopausal women with normal bone mass and is positively correlated to age and negatively to LS BMD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, 424 General Military Hospital, Ring Road, 564 29 N.Efkarpia, Thessaloniki, Greece. a.anastasilakis@gmail.com
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Anastasilakis
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Polyzos
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Makras
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gkiomisi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Savvides
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papatheodorou
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Terpos
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins / Q000097:blood*; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005272:Femur Neck / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000077211:Zoledronic Acid
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D050071:Bone Density Conservation Agents; D004164:Diphosphonates; D007093:Imidazoles; C422405:activin A; D028341:Activins; D000077211:Zoledronic Acid