| Summary: | Osteoporosis is a multifactorial and polygenic disease caused by an imbalance between osteoclastogenesis and osteoblastogenesis, leading to a decrease in bone mineral density and the occurrence of disorders in the microarchitecture and metabolism of bone tissue. In postmenopausal women, there is a significant decrease in the production of estrogens, which play a key role in maintaining proper bone mineral density. Estrogens have an inhibitory effect on the development and activity of osteoclasts by reducing the synthesis of pro-resorption cytokines and stimulating the expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG). Osteoprotegerin is a cytokine that prevents bone loss by inhibiting the process of osteoclastogenesis, reducing bone resorption. The aim of our study was to determine the influence of the rs3102735 (−163A>G), rs3134070 (−245T>G), rs207361 (−950T>C), rs7844539 (6890A>C), and rs2073618 (1181G>C) polymorphisms of the <i>OPG</i> gene on the risk of osteoporosis and osteopenia in postmenopausal Polish women. The study included 802 unrelated women (osteoporosis: <i>n</i> = 317, osteopenia: <i>n</i> = 110, controls: <i>n</i> = 375) at postmenopausal age (54.7 ± 8.6 years). Genetic analysis was performed using real-time PCR. BMD values as well as clinical and bone parameters with the tested polymorphisms were analyzed among the study population. Analysis of the <i>PPARG</i> rs1801282 variants did not show any association with the risk of osteoporosis and osteopenia. However, for the <i>OPG</i> rs207361 polymorphism, we observed a statistically significant association with the risk of osteoporosis, suggesting that the <i>OPG</i> rs207361 variant may be one of the genetic markers associated with the pathogenesis of osteoporosis.
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