Association of Fas, Fas-ligand gene polymorphisms with bone mineral desity and bone resposiveness to hormone therapy in postmenopausal women

Byun, Seung Won; Kwon, Dong Jin; You, Young Oak; Kim, Jin Hong

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between Fas gene & Fas-ligand gene polymorphisms, and bone mineral density (BMD) after hormone therapy (HT) in postmenopausal women.
METHODS
Restriction fragment length polymorphisms at the Fas A670G, G1377A gene site and Fas-ligand C843T, IVS3nt169 (T/delT) gene site and BMD at the lumbar spine and proximal femur were analyzed in 229 postmenopausal women receiving sequential HT for 1 year. BMD were measured by DEXA. The subjects were divided in normal, osteopenic and osteoporotic on the basis of the T-score values according to the classification of the World Health Organization (WHO).
RESULTS
After adjusting for potential confounding factors such as age, BMI, and menopause duration, A670G polymorphism was significantly associated with BMD at the lumbar spine, the femur neck and trochanter in osteopenic and osteoporotic groups, and G1377A polymorphism was significantly associated with BMD at lumbar spine and the femur neck in osteopenic group. C843T polymorphism was significantly associated with BMD at lumbar spine and ward triangle in osteoporotic group, IVS3nt169 (T/delT) was not associated with BMD. In osteoporotic group after HT in postmenopausal women, A670G polymorphism A/A, G1377A polymorphism G/G, C843T polymorphism T/T were associated with significant annual bone mineral density change, compared with other polymorphism at the same gene.
CONCLUSION
These findings suggest that Fas, Fas-ligand gene polymorphisms may be an important contributor to the variation of BMD among postmenopausal women. and that a specific Fas, Fas-ligand polymorphisms are associated with significant BMD change in postmenopausal women after HT.