Chair for Biomarkers of Chronic Diseases, Biochemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Obesity, Endocrine and Metabolic Center, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh 59046, Saudi Arabia.
Medicina (Kaunas). 2022 Jul 22;58(8):976. doi: 10.3390/medicina58080976.
Background and objective: There is limited information as to the association of several key bone markers with bone mineral density (BMD) in understudied ethnic groups. This study investigated the relationship between circulating levels of osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-Β ligand (RANKL) with BMD in Arab postmenopausal women. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 617 Saudi postmenopausal women from the Osteoporosis Registry of the Chair for Biomarkers of Chronic Diseases were included. Anthropometric data, BMD, and biochemical data were retrieved from the registry. Participants were stratified into three groups based on T-score; n = 169 with osteoporosis, n = 282 with osteopenia, and n = 166 normal. Analysis of bone markers including RANKL, OPG, osteocalcin, and N-terminal telopeptide (NTx) was completed using commercially available bioassays. Results: The results suggested that OPG was significantly and positively correlated with age in the osteoporosis group (r = 0.29, p < 0.05), while it was inversely correlated with BMD femoral neck left (r = −0.56, p < 0.001) and BMD femoral neck right (r = −0.37, p < 0.05) in the same group. Moreover, RANKL showed a significant inverse correlation with NTx in the osteopenia group (r = −0.37, p < 0.05). Furthermore, the RANKL/OPG ratio had a positive and significant correlation with BMI (r = 0.34, p < 0.05), BMD femoral neck left (r = 0.36, p < 0.05) and BMD femoral neck right (r = 0.35, p < 0.05) in the osteopenia group. By contrast, it showed a significant inverse correlation with waist to hip ratio in the osteoporosis group (r = −0.38, p < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis showed that OPG contributes to BMD variations in the osteopenia group (p = 0.03). Conclusions: In conclusion, changes in circulating levels of RANKL and OPG might be a protective mechanism contrary to the increased bone loss in postmenopausal women.
关于几种关键骨标志物与研究较少的种族群体的骨密度（BMD）之间的关联，目前信息有限。本研究旨在探讨阿拉伯绝经后妇女循环骨保护素（OPG）和核因子 kappa-B 配体受体激活剂（RANKL）水平与 BMD 之间的关系。
在这项横断面研究中，共纳入了骨质疏松症登记处的 617 名沙特绝经后妇女。从登记处中获取了人体测量数据、BMD 和生化数据。根据 T 评分，将参与者分为三组：骨质疏松组 n = 169，骨量减少组 n = 282，正常组 n = 166。使用商业上可用的生物测定法完成了对 RANKL、OPG、骨钙素和 N 端肽（NTx）等骨标志物的分析。
结果表明，OPG 与骨质疏松组的年龄呈显著正相关（r = 0.29，p < 0.05），而与同一组的左股骨颈 BMD（r = −0.56，p < 0.001）和右股骨颈 BMD（r = −0.37，p < 0.05）呈负相关。此外，在骨量减少组中，RANKL 与 NTx 呈显著负相关（r = −0.37，p < 0.05）。此外，RANKL/OPG 比值与 BMI（r = 0.34，p < 0.05）、左股骨颈 BMD（r = 0.36，p < 0.05）和右股骨颈 BMD（r = 0.35，p < 0.05）呈正相关，在骨量减少组中呈正相关。相比之下，在骨质疏松组中，它与腰臀比呈显著负相关（r = −0.38，p < 0.05）。多元回归分析显示，OPG 对骨量减少组的 BMD 变化有贡献（p = 0.03）。
总之，RANKL 和 OPG 循环水平的变化可能是绝经后妇女骨丢失增加的一种保护机制。
