Serum leptin, adiponectin and ghrelin concentrations in post-menopausal women: Is there an association with bone mineral density?
OBJECTIVE
Adipokines and ghrelin exert well-documented effects on energy expenditure and glucose metabolism. Experimental data also support a role in bone metabolism, although data from clinical studies are conflicting. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the association of serum concentrations of leptin, adiponectin and ghrelin with bone mineral density (BMD) in post-menopausal women.


METHODS
BMD in lumbar spine and femoral neck, and circulating leptin, adiponectin and ghrelin concentrations were measured in 110 healthy post-menopausal women. Patients with secondary causes of osteoporosis were excluded.


RESULTS
Osteoporosis was diagnosed in 30 (27%) women and osteopenia in 54 (49%). Serum leptin concentrations were positively correlated with both lumbar spine (r=0.343, p<0.01) and femoral neck BMD (r=0.370, p<0.01). Adiponectin concentrations were negatively associated with BMD at both sites (r=-0.321, p<0.01 and r=-0.448, p<0.01 respectively). No significant correlation between ghrelin concentrations and BMD was found. Osteoporotic women had lower body weight, body mass index (BMI) and leptin concentrations, but higher adiponectin concentrations compared with non-osteoporotic women. In multivariate stepwise regression analysis, the association of adiponectin concentrations with BMD remained significant only for femoral neck, after adjustment for body weight or BMI.


CONCLUSIONS
An inverse association between adiponectin and femoral neck BMD was found in post-menopausal women, independently of body weight. The positive association between leptin and BMD was dependent on body weight, whereas no effect of ghrelin on BMD was evident.
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Aristotle University, Papageorgiou Hospital, 56403 Thessaloniki, Greece.
V
V
Mpalaris
Unit of Reproductive Endocrinology, 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
P
P
Anagnostis
Department of Endocrinology, 424 General Military Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
A D
AD
Anastasilakis
Unit of Reproductive Endocrinology, 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
D G
DG
Goulis
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Aristotle University, Papageorgiou Hospital, 56403 Thessaloniki, Greece.
A
A
Doumas
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Aristotle University, Papageorgiou Hospital, 56403 Thessaloniki, Greece. Electronic address: iiakovou@auth.gr.
I
I
Iakovou
D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005272:Femur Neck / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*
D052242:Adiponectin; D054439:Ghrelin; D020738:Leptin
Adipokine; Adiponectin; Ghrelin; Leptin; Osteoporosis