title: Gender differences in sclerostin and clinical characteristics in type 1 diabetes mellitus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sclerostin is an osteocyte-derived inhibitor of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, which acts as a negative regulator of bone formation. Published data on sclerostin levels in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) are few.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate gender differences in sclerostin serum levels and the association among sclerostin, bone mass, bone metabolism, and the main clinical characteristics of subjects with T1DM.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 69 patients with T1DM (mean age, 33.7±8.1; 49% males) were enrolled in this cross-sectional study in a clinical research center. Bone mineral density was measured by phalangeal quantitative ultrasound (QUS); bone turnover markers (urinary pyridinoline, deoxypyridinoline (D-PYR), and urine hydroxyproline (OH-PRO) to evaluate bone resorption; serum bone alkaline phosphatase and BGP to evaluate bone formation) and sclerostin were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  D-PYR and sclerostin were significantly higher in women when compared with men (P=0.04). A disease duration >15 years was associated with higher sclerostin levels (P=0.03). Bone turnover markers and QUS parameters were not correlated with sclerostin. A significant negative correlation was observed among QUS parameters, BMI, and OH-PRO. Sclerostin serum levels were correlated with homocysteine (r=-0.34, P=0.005) and vitamin B12 (r=-0.31, P=0.02). Generalized linear model showed that macroangiopathy was the only predictor of sclerostin serum levels (β=-11.8, 95% CI from -21.9 to -1.7; P=0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data demonstrate that women with T1DM exhibit higher sclerostin levels than men and that circulating sclerostin is not associated with bone turnover markers and phalangeal QUS measurements. Macroangiopathy was associated with sclerostin levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental MedicineUniversity Hospital of Messina, A.O.U. Policlinico 'G.Martino', Via C. Valeria, 98125 Messina, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology and EpidemiologyFondazione Mario Negri Sud, Santa Maria Imbaro (CH), Italy catalanoantonino@libero.it.
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Catalano
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental MedicineUniversity Hospital of Messina, A.O.U. Policlinico 'G.Martino', Via C. Valeria, 98125 Messina, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology and EpidemiologyFondazione Mario Negri Sud, Santa Maria Imbaro (CH), Italy.
authors.forename: Basilio
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pintaudi
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental MedicineUniversity Hospital of Messina, A.O.U. Policlinico 'G.Martino', Via C. Valeria, 98125 Messina, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology and EpidemiologyFondazione Mario Negri Sud, Santa Maria Imbaro (CH), Italy.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morabito
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental MedicineUniversity Hospital of Messina, A.O.U. Policlinico 'G.Martino', Via C. Valeria, 98125 Messina, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology and EpidemiologyFondazione Mario Negri Sud, Santa Maria Imbaro (CH), Italy.
authors.forename: Giacoma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Vieste
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental MedicineUniversity Hospital of Messina, A.O.U. Policlinico 'G.Martino', Via C. Valeria, 98125 Messina, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology and EpidemiologyFondazione Mario Negri Sud, Santa Maria Imbaro (CH), Italy.
authors.forename: Loretta
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giunta
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental MedicineUniversity Hospital of Messina, A.O.U. Policlinico 'G.Martino', Via C. Valeria, 98125 Messina, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology and EpidemiologyFondazione Mario Negri Sud, Santa Maria Imbaro (CH), Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Lucia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental MedicineUniversity Hospital of Messina, A.O.U. Policlinico 'G.Martino', Via C. Valeria, 98125 Messina, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology and EpidemiologyFondazione Mario Negri Sud, Santa Maria Imbaro (CH), Italy.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cucinotta
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental MedicineUniversity Hospital of Messina, A.O.U. Policlinico 'G.Martino', Via C. Valeria, 98125 Messina, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology and EpidemiologyFondazione Mario Negri Sud, Santa Maria Imbaro (CH), Italy.
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lasco
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental MedicineUniversity Hospital of Messina, A.O.U. Policlinico 'G.Martino', Via C. Valeria, 98125 Messina, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology and EpidemiologyFondazione Mario Negri Sud, Santa Maria Imbaro (CH), Italy.
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Benedetto
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D015415:Biomarkers; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D005819:Genetic Markers; C422903:SOST protein, human