title: Serum fetuin-A levels in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  One of the functions of fetuin-A is the restriction of formation and expansion ofextraosseous hydroxyapatite crystals. TIhe exact correlation of fetuin-A with bone mineral density (BMD) has not been clearly elucidated yet. In this study, we aimed to assess the relationship between BMD and fetuin-A in postmenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty postmenopausal women (25 with osteoporosis, 25 healthy controls) were included in the study. All participants were comparable for age and body mass index. None of the osteoporotic patients had received any medical treatment for osteoporosis. Serum fetuin-A levels were measured by ELISA method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BMD scores of the groups were statistically significant (P < 0.001). Serum fetuin-A levels of the osteoporosis group were significantly lower compared to the control group (P = 0.009). Additionally, there was there was a mild to moderate positive correlation between fetuin-A and lumbar (r = 0.381, P = 0.06) and femoral (r = 0.143, P = 0.50) BMD in the osteoporotic group, though it did not reach statistical significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Decreased fetuin-A levels in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis suggest that fetuin-A may have a role in the development of osteoporosis. Further studies are required to define the exact role of fetuin-A in bone metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Ankara Occupational Diseases Hospital, Turkey. ozkanesin@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Esin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Özkan
authors.forename: Hüseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Özkan
authors.forename: Serkan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bilgiç
authors.forename: Ersin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Odabaşi
authors.forename: Nuray
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Can
authors.forename: Emin Özgür
authors.initials: EÖ
authors.lastname: Akgül
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yanmiş
authors.lastname: Yurttaş Yüksel
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kürklü
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Başbozkurt
authors.forename: Mehmet Kemal
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Erbil
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000097:blood*; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D060749:alpha-2-HS-Glycoprotein / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D060749:alpha-2-HS-Glycoprotein