Association between polymorphisms in leptin, its receptor and beta adrenergic receptor genes and bone mineral density in postmenopausal Korean women

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the leptin (LEP), leptin receptor (LEPR), and beta adrenergic receptor (ADRB) genes and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal Korean women. Methods: The LEP c.280G>A, LEPR c.326A>G, c.668A>G, c.1968G>C, c.2096C>T, ADRB2 c.46A>G, c.79C>G, c.718T>C, c.741G>T, c.769G>A, and ADRB3 c.190T>C polymorphisms were analyzed in 592 postmenopausal Korean women. Serum levels of leptin, soluble leptin receptor (sLR), osteoprotegerin(OPG), soluble receptor activator of the nuclear factor-ĸB ligand (sRANKL), bone alkaline phosphatase, and carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen were measured, and BMDs at the lumbar spine and femoral neck were also examined. Results: Among polymorphisms measured, the LEPR c.1968G>C polymorphism only was found to be related to BMD at the femoral neck, and higher BMD was associated with an increasing number of G alleles (P=0.04). Osteoporosis at the femoral neck was 3.27- and 3.89-times more frequently observed in the AG and GG genotypes compared to the AA genotype in the ADRB2 c.46A>G polymorphism (P=0.024 and 0.015, respectively). However, no significant differences in serum levels of leptin, sLR, free leptin index, OPG, sRANKL, and bone turnover markers were detected among single and haplotype genotypes. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the LEPR c.1968G>C polymorphism may be one of the genetic factors affecting femoral neck BMD in postmenopausal Korean women, and that an analysis of the ADRB2 c.46A>G polymorphism may be useful in identifying women at risk of osteoporosis.