The relationship between osteoprotegerin gene polymorphism and aortic calcification in Korean women.
- Author:
Ki Won OH
1
;
Eun Joo YUN
;
Eun Jung RHEE
;
Won Young LEE
;
Ki Hyun BAEK
;
Kun Ho YOON
;
Moo Il KANG
;
Eun Sook OH
;
Cheol Young PARK
;
Sung Hee IHM
;
Moon Gi CHOI
;
Hyung Joon YOO
;
Sung Woo PARK
Author Information
1. Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chunchon, Korea. okwendo@yahoo.co.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Osteoprotegerin;
Polymorphism;
Aortic Calcification
- MeSH:
Alleles;
Cardiovascular System;
Discrimination (Psychology);
Female;
Humans;
Models, Animal;
Osteoporosis;
Osteoprotegerin*;
Polymerase Chain Reaction;
Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B;
Risk Factors
- From:Korean Journal of Medicine
2006;70(1):41-52
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a recently identified cytokine that acts as a decoy receptor for the receptor activator of NF-kappa B ligand (RANKL). OPG has been shown to be an important inhibitor of osteoclastogenesis and arterial calcification in animal models. Recently, OPG has been proposed as a link molecule between osteoporosis and arterial calcification, but the relationship between OPG gene and cardiovascular system in human populations is unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between OPG gene polymorphisms and aortic calcification in healthy Korean women. METHODS: We observed 251 healthy Korean women (mean age, 51.3+/-6.9 yr). We determined cardiovascular risk factors. Thoracic and abdominal aortic calcifications were examined by simple radiological methods. A163G, G209A, T245G, and T950C polymorphisms of OPG gene were analyzed by allelic discrimination using the 5' nuclease polymerase chain reaction assay. RESULTS: The frequency of mutant allele was increased in the aortic calcification (+) group as compared with aortic calcification (-) group (G209A, 28.6% vs. 18.7%, p=0.029; T950C, 75.9% vs. 65.4%, p=0.017). However, no significant relationship was found between OPG gene polymorphisms and serum OPG levels and cardiovascular risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: We observed that the OPG gene polymorphisms were partly associated with aortic calcification in healthy Korean women. Further studies are needed to clarify this relationship.
