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

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms in leptin (LEP), leptin receptor (LEPR), and β-adrenergic receptor (ADRB) genes and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal Korean women. METHODS: LEP c.280G>A, LEPR c.326A>G, LEPR c.668A>G, LEPR c.1968G>C, LEPR c.2096C>T, ADRB2 c.46A>G, ADRB2 c.79C>G, ADRB2 c.718T>C, ADRB2 c.741G>T, ADRB2 c.769G>A, and ADRB3 c.190T>C polymorphisms were analyzed in 592 postmenopausal Korean women. Serum levels of leptin, soluble leptin receptor, osteoprotegerin, soluble receptor activator of the nuclear factor-κB ligand, 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 the polymorphisms measured, only the LEPR c.1968G>C polymorphism was found to be associated with BMD at the femoral neck, and higher BMD was observed with 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 than in the AA genotype in the ADRB2 c.46A>G polymorphism (P = 0.024 and P = 0.015, respectively). However, no significant differences in serum levels of leptin, soluble leptin receptor, free leptin index, osteoprotegerin, soluble receptor activator of the nuclear factor-κB ligand, and bone turnover markers were detected among single and haplotype genotypes. CONCLUSIONS: These 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 for osteoporosis at the femoral neck.