Relationship between bone mineral density and polymorphism of the estrogen receptor gene in healthy postmenopausal women in China.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the possible relationship between bone mineral density and polymorphism of the estrogen receptor (ER) gene in Shanghai healthy postmenopausal women.

METHODS

250 unrelated healthy postmenopausal women were selected for bone mineral density (BMD) determination by Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and polymorphism of estrogen receptor gene analyses by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).

RESULTS

Pvu II polymorphisms of ER gene was associated with low Troch BMD (P = 0.0153) while there was no significant relationship between Xba I polymorphism of ER gene and BMD at any of skeletal sites included in the present study, and the combination of Pvu II and Xba I polymorphisms of ER gene was significantly associated with both low Lumbar 2-4 (P = 0.0369) and Troch (P = 0.0384) BMD. Multiple stepwise regression analysis also indicated that two combined polymorphisms were correlated significantly with Lumbar 2-4 BMD (P = 0.0254) while this correlation was not revealed at any other skeletal sites.

CONCLUSION

There is significant relationship between the polymorphism of ER gene and both Lumbar 2-4 BMD and Troch BMD. It is significant to explore the pathogenesis of osteoporosis and to prevent the development of osteoprosis by use of molecular genetics.