Serum β-Catenin Levels Associated with the Ratio of RANKLOPG in Patients with Postmenopausal Osteoporosis

Abstract EN

Objective.

To demonstrate the role of Wnt/β-catenin canonical pathway in postmenopausal osteoporosis by evaluating serum β-catenin levels in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis and analyzing their possible relationship with serum OPG, RANKL, the ratio of RANKL/OPG, sclerostin, and bone turnover markers.

Methods.

480 patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis and 170 healthy postmenopausal women were enrolled in the study.

Serum β-catenin, OPG, RANKL, and sclerostin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Bone status was assessed by measuring bone mineral density and bone turnover markers.

Estradiol levels were also detected.

Results.

Serum β-catenin levels were lower in postmenopausal osteoporotic women compared to nonosteoporotic postmenopausal women (26.26±14.81 versus 39.33±5.47 pg/mL, P<0.001).

Serum β-catenin was positively correlated with osteoprotegerin (r=0.232, P<0.001) and negatively correlated with the ratio of RANKL/OPG, body mass index, and sclerostin (r=-0.128, P=0.005; r=-0.117, P=0.010; r=-0.400, P<0.001, resp.) in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Conclusion.

The results indicate that lower serum β-catenin and concomitantly higher ratio of RANKL/OPG may be involved in the pathogenesis of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Functional communication between RANKL/RANK/OPG system and Wnt pathways plays an important role in postmenopausal osteoporosis.