Fracture, bone mineral density, and the effects of calcitonin receptor gene in postmenopausal Koreans

SNPs in GPCR Genes and Impaired Osteogenic Potency in Osteoporotic Patient Lines-Based Study

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have emerged as critical regulators of bone development and remodeling. In this study, we aimed to identify specific GPCR mutations in osteoporotic patients via next-generation sequencing (NGS). We performed NGS sequencing of six genomic DNA samples taken from osteoporotic patients and two genomic DNA samples from healthy donors. Next, we searched for single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in GPCR genes that are associated with osteoporosis. For three osteoporotic patients and one healthy donor, bone biopsies were used to generate patient-specific mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) lines, and their ability to undergo osteodifferentiation was analyzed. We found that MSCs derived from osteoporotic patients have a different response to osteoinductive factors and impaired osteogenic differentiation using qPCR and histochemical staining assays. The NGS analysis revealed specific combinations of SNPs in GPCR genes in these patients, where SNPs in ADRB2 (rs1042713), GIPR (rs1800437), CNR2 (rs2501431, rs3003336), and WLS (rs3762371) were associated with impaired osteogenic differentiation capacity. By integrating NGS data with functional assessments of patient-specific cell lines, we linked GPCR mutations to impaired bone formation, providing a foundation for developing personalized therapeutic strategies. SNP analysis is recognized as a proactive approach to osteoporosis management, enabling earlier interventions and targeted preventive measures for individuals at risk. Furthermore, SNP analysis contributes to the development of robust, holistic risk prediction models that enhance the accuracy of risk assessments across the population. This integration of genetic data into public health strategies facilitates healthcare initiatives. This approach could guide treatment decisions tailored to the patient's genetic profile and provide a foundation for developing personalized therapeutic strategies.

Pleiotropic effects on Sarcopenia subphenotypes point to potential molecular markers for the disease

Sarcopenia is a progressive age-related muscle disease characterized by low muscle strength, quantity and quality, and low physical performance. The clinical overlap between these subphenotypes (reduction in muscle strength, quantity and quality, and physical performance) was evidenced, but the genetic overlap is still poorly investigated. Herein, we investigated whether there is a genetic overlap amongst sarcopenia subphenotypes in the search for more effective molecular markers for this disease. For that, a Bioinformatics approach was used to identify and characterize pleiotropic effects at the genome, loci and gene levels using Genome-wide association study results. As a result, a high genetic correlation was identified between gait speed and muscle strength (rG=0.5358, p=3.39 × 10-8). Using a Pleiotropy-informed conditional and conjunctional false discovery rate method we identified two pleiotropic loci for muscle strength and gait speed, one of them was nearby the gene PHACTR1. Moreover, 11 pleiotropic loci and 25 genes were identified for muscle mass and muscle strength. Lastly, using a gene-based GWAS approach three candidate genes were identified in the overlap of the three Sarcopenia subphenotypes: FTO, RPS10 and CALCR. The current study provides evidence of genetic overlap and pleiotropy among sarcopenia subphenotypes and highlights novel candidate genes and molecular markers associated with the risk of sarcopenia.

The Genetic Profile of Combat Sport Athletes: A Systematic Review of Physiological, Psychological and Injury Risk Determinants

This systematic review aims to assess the genetic determinants influencing combat sports performance and address potential gaps in previous reviews. Twenty-four selected studies were analysed, investigating genetic influences on physiological performance, psychological traits, psychophysiological factors like pain perception, and injury susceptibility in combat sport athletes. The systematic literature search, using keywords, encompassed PubMed, Scopus, SportDiscus, Medline, and Google Scholar. The Covidence systematic review management software facilitated the screening process and the creation of the PRISMA flow diagram. The quality assessment complied with the PRISMA guidelines, featuring a custom 10-point scale and the STREGA criteria for more reliable study inclusion. Collectively, the 24 studies incorporated 18,989 participants, of which 3323 were combat athletes of majority European ancestry (71.7%) from various combat sports disciplines. Twenty-five unique genetic variants were significantly associated with combat sports performance across diverse domains. These included physiological performance (nine genetic variants), psychological traits (ten genetic variants), psychophysiological factors (one genetic variant), and injury susceptibility (four genetic variants). In conclusion, this systematic review lays the foundation for a more comprehensive exploration of the association between genetics and athletic performance in the demanding arena of combat sports, offering valuable insights for talent identification, training optimisation, and injury prevention.

Analysis of Molecular Mechanism of Erxian Decoction in Treating Osteoporosis Based on Formula Optimization Model

Osteoporosis (OP) is a highly prevalent orthopedic condition in postmenopausal women and the elderly. Currently, OP treatments mainly include bisphosphonates, receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) antibody therapy, selective estrogen receptor modulators, teriparatide (PTH1-34), and menopausal hormone therapy. However, increasing evidence has indicated these treatments may exert serious side effects. In recent years, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has become popular for treating orthopedic disorders. Erxian Decoction (EXD) is widely used for the clinical treatment of OP, but its underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear thanks to its multiple components and multiple target features. In this research, we designed a network pharmacology method, which used a novel node importance calculation model to identify critical response networks (CRNs) and effective proteins. Based on these proteins, a target coverage contribution (TCC) model was designed to infer a core active component group (CACG). This approach decoded the mechanisms underpinning EXD's role in OP therapy. Our data indicated that the drug response network mediated by the CACG effectively retained information of the component-target (C-T) network of pathogenic genes. Functional pathway enrichment analysis showed that EXD exerted therapeutic effects toward OP by targeting PI3K-Akt signaling (hsa04151), calcium signaling (hsa04020), apoptosis (hsa04210), estrogen signaling (hsa04915), and osteoclast differentiation (hsa04380) via JNK, AKT, and ERK. Our method furnishes a feasible methodological strategy for formula optimization and mechanism analysis and also supplies a reference scheme for the secondary development of the TCM formula.

Association between calcitonin receptor gene polymorphisms and calcium stone urolithiasis: A meta-analysis

PURPOSE

It has been reported that calcitonin receptor (CALCR) gene polymorphisms might be associated with calcium stone urolithiasis. Owing to mixed and inconclusive results, we conducted a meta-analysis to summarize and clarify this association.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic search of studies on the association between CALCR gene polymorphisms and calcium stone urolithiasis susceptibility was conducted in databases.

RESULTS

Odds ratios and 95% confi dence intervals were used to pool the effect size. Five articles were included in our meta-analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

CALCR rs1801197 might be associated with increased risk of calcium stone urolithiasis. There is insufficient data to fully confirm the association between CALCR rs1042138 and calcium stone urolithiasis susceptibility. Well-designed studies with larger sample size and more subgroups are required to validate the risk identified in the current meta-analysis.

Patterns, Mechanisms and Genetics of Speciation in Reptiles and Amphibians

In this contribution, the aspects of reptile and amphibian speciation that emerged from research performed over the past decade are reviewed. First, this study assesses how patterns and processes of speciation depend on knowing the taxonomy of the group in question, and discuss how integrative taxonomy has contributed to speciation research in these groups. This study then reviews the research on different aspects of speciation in reptiles and amphibians, including biogeography and climatic niches, ecological speciation, the relationship between speciation rates and phenotypic traits, and genetics and genomics. Further, several case studies of speciation in reptiles and amphibians that exemplify many of these themes are discussed. These include studies of integrative taxonomy and biogeography in South American lizards, ecological speciation in European salamanders, speciation and phenotypic evolution in frogs and lizards. The final case study combines genomics and biogeography in tortoises. The field of amphibian and reptile speciation research has steadily moved forward from the assessment of geographic and ecological aspects, to incorporating other dimensions of speciation, such as genetic mechanisms and evolutionary forces. A higher degree of integration among all these dimensions emerges as a goal for future research.

The role of GPCRs in bone diseases and dysfunctions

The superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) contains immense structural and functional diversity and mediates a myriad of biological processes upon activation by various extracellular signals. Critical roles of GPCRs have been established in bone development, remodeling, and disease. Multiple human GPCR mutations impair bone development or metabolism, resulting in osteopathologies. Here we summarize the disease phenotypes and dysfunctions caused by GPCR gene mutations in humans as well as by deletion in animals. To date, 92 receptors (5 glutamate family, 67 rhodopsin family, 5 adhesion, 4 frizzled/taste2 family, 5 secretin family, and 6 other 7TM receptors) have been associated with bone diseases and dysfunctions (36 in humans and 72 in animals). By analyzing data from these 92 GPCRs, we found that mutation or deletion of different individual GPCRs could induce similar bone diseases or dysfunctions, and the same individual GPCR mutation or deletion could induce different bone diseases or dysfunctions in different populations or animal models. Data from human diseases or dysfunctions identified 19 genes whose mutation was associated with human BMD: 9 genes each for human height and osteoporosis; 4 genes each for human osteoarthritis (OA) and fracture risk; and 2 genes each for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), periodontitis, osteosarcoma growth, and tooth development. Reports from gene knockout animals found 40 GPCRs whose deficiency reduced bone mass, while deficiency of 22 GPCRs increased bone mass and BMD; deficiency of 8 GPCRs reduced body length, while 5 mice had reduced femur size upon GPCR deletion. Furthermore, deficiency in 6 GPCRs induced osteoporosis; 4 induced osteoarthritis; 3 delayed fracture healing; 3 reduced arthritis severity; and reduced bone strength, increased bone strength, and increased cortical thickness were each observed in 2 GPCR-deficiency models. The ever-expanding number of GPCR mutation-associated diseases warrants accelerated molecular analysis, population studies, and investigation of phenotype correlation with SNPs to elucidate GPCR function in human diseases.

Boron intake, osteocalcin polymorphism and serum level in postmenopausal osteoporosis

The relationship between daily boron intake and osteocalcin-mediated osteoporosis was studied in boron-exposed postmenopausal women. It is known that boron and osteocalcin are important in bone metabolism, however the effect of boron in bone metabolism has not been fully discovered. The study was performed on 53 postmenopausal women aged 55-60 living in parts of Balikesir, Turkey, where the subjects are naturally exposed to high (≥1 mg/L) or low (<1 mg/L) boron concentration in drinking water. 24-h urine samples were collected from all participants and creatinine clearance was detected. Boron intake levels of the subjects whose clearance levels were between 80-124 mL/min were measured by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) in urine samples. Serum osteocalcin levels of the subjects were measured by osteocalcin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Osteocalcin polymorphism rs1800247 was detected using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Serum osteocalcin levels in boron-exposed postmenopausal women were significantly higher than that of control group (P ≤ 0.05) and the correlation between the serum osteocalcin level and rs1800247 polymorphism was not significant in both groups (P > 0.05). The differences in the distribution of osteocalcin genotypes and alleles in postmenopausal women were not significant between the boron exposed and the control groups (P > 0.05). Serum osteocalcin level in the CC genotype was significantly higher compared to the TC genotype in boron-exposed group (P ≤ 0.05). Our study suggests that daily boron intake of 1 mg/L may affect bone metabolism in postmenopausal women positively.

Association between calcitonin receptor AluI gene polymorphism and bone mineral density: A meta-analysis

The association between calcitonin receptor (CTR) AluI gene polymorphism and bone mineral density (BMD) remains unclear. In order to elucidate this association, a meta-analysis was performed to provide a comprehensive assessment of the studies carried out to date. PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database were searched to identify eligible studies. The data were extracted independently by two authors using a standard form, the studies were meta-analyzed and disagreements were resolved through discussion. Fifteen eligible studies involving 3,093 females and 654 males were included for analysis. Overall, the male subjects with the CC genotype had non-statistically different lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD compared to subjects with the CT/TT and CT genotypes. The BMD of female subjects with the CC genotype was similar to that of patients with the CT or CT/TT genotypes. In Chinese male subjects, those with the CC genotype had almost the same BMD as those with the CT and CT/TT genotypes. The results also demonstrated that Chinese female subjects with the CC genotype had similar BMD at the lumbar spine and femoral neck to subjects with the CT and CT/TT genotypes. Furthermore, Southern Chinese subjects with CC genotypes did not have a different BMD at the lumbar spine and femoral neck compared to patients with CT and CT/TT genotypes. Notably, Northern Chinese subjects with the CC genotype had a higher BMD at the lumbar spine compared to subjects with CT/TT genotypes and a lower BMD at the femoral neck compared to subjects with CT/TT genotypes. Among Northern Chinese females, those with CC genotypes also had a higher BMD at the lumbar spine compared to those with CT/TT genotypes, while no difference was observed in the BMD of the lumbar spine and femoral neck between patients with CC and CT genotypes. In Southern Chinese females, no significant difference was found in the BMD at the lumbar spine and femoral neck between those with CC and those with CT or CT/TT genotypes. In conclusion, the AluI gene polymorphism may have an association with BMD in Northern Chinese subjects and the CC genotype may have a protective effect on spine BMD; however, the CC genotype may be a risk factor for low femoral neck BMD in Northern Chinese subjects. Further studies are required to fully investigate the potential association between AluI gene polymorphism and BMD.

Multiple gene polymorphisms can improve prediction of nonvertebral fracture in postmenopausal women

Clinical risk factors (CRFs), with or without bone mineral density (BMD), are used to determine the risk of osteoporotic fracture (OF), which has a heritable component. In this study we investigated whether genetic profiling can additionally improve the ability to predict OF. Using 1229 unrelated Korean postmenopausal women, 39 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 30 human genomic loci were tested for association with osteoporosis-related traits, such as BMD, osteoporosis, vertebral fracture (VF), nonvertebral fracture (NVF), and any fracture. To estimate the effects of genetic profiling, the genetic risk score (GRS) was calculated using five prediction models: (Model I) GRSs only; (Model II) BMD only; (Model III) CRFs only; (Model IV) CRFs and BMD; and (Model V) CRFs, BMD, and GRS. A total of 21 SNPs within 19 genes associated with one or more osteoporosis-related traits and were included for GRS calculation. GRS associated with BMD before and after adjustment for CRFs (p ranging from <0.001 to 0.018). GRS associated with NVF before and after adjustment for CRFs and BMD (p ranging from 0.017 to 0.045), and with any fracture after adjustment for CRFs and femur neck BMD (p = 0.049). In terms of predicting NVF, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for Model I was 0.55, which was lower than the AUCs of Models II (0.60), III (0.64), and IV (0.65). Adding GRS to Model IV (in Model V) increased the AUC to 0.67, and improved the accuracy of NVF classification by 11.5% (p = 0.014). In terms of predicting any fracture, the AUC of Model V (0.68) was similar to that of Model IV (0.68), and Model V did not significantly improve the accuracy of any fracture classification (p = 0.39). Thus, genetic profiling may enhance the accuracy of NVF predictions and help to delineate the intervention threshold.

Association between osteoporosis and polymorphisms of the bone Gla protein, estrogen receptor 1, collagen 1-A1 and calcitonin receptor genes in Turkish postmenopausal women

In this study, we have investigated the association between osteoporosis and osteocalcin (BGLAP) -298 C>T, estrogen receptor 1 (ER1) 397 T>C, collagen type1 alpha 1 (Col1A1) 2046 G>T and calcitonin receptor (CALCR) 1340 T>C polymorphisms. Genomic DNA was obtained from 266 persons (158 osteoporotic and 108 healthy controls). Genomic DNA was extracted from EDTA-preserved peripheral venous blood of patients and controls by a salting-out method and analyzed by PCR-RFLP. As a result, there was no statistically significant difference in the genotype and allele frequencies of patients and controls for BGLAP -298 C>T, Col1A1 2046 G>T, ER1 397 T>C and CALCR 1340 T>C polymorphisms. However, ER1 CC genotype compared with TT+TC genotypes was found to increase the two fold the risk of osteoporosis [p=0.039, OR=2.156, 95% CI (1.083-4.293)] and CALCR CC genotype compared with TT+TC genotypes was found to have protective effect against osteoporosis [p=0.045, OR=0.471, 95% CI (0.237-0.9372)]. In the combined genotype analysis, ER1/CALCR TCCC combined genotype was estimated to have protective effect against osteoporosis [p=0.0125, OR=0.323, 95% CI (0.1383-0.755)] whereas BGLAP/Col1A1 CCTT and ER1/CALCR CCTT combined genotypes were estimated as risk factors for osteoporosis in Turkish population (p=0.027, p=0.009 respectively).