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Association Study of Polymorphisms in the SOST Gene Region and Parameters of Bone Strength and Body Composition in Both Young and Elderly Men: Data from the Odense Androgen Study

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Abstract

By means of different genetic association studies the SOST gene, encoding sclerostin, has repeatedly been suggested to regulate bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis susceptibility. This study aimed at a further understanding of the importance of two previously studied single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the SOST gene, rs10534024 (SRP3) and rs9902563 (SRP9), in the Odense Androgen Study (OAS) cohort. This cohort includes a total of 1,383 Danish men from two different age groups, 20–29 years (n = 783) and 60–74 years (n = 600), and is well characterized. Subjects were phenotyped for BMD at several sites and additionally for body composition and hip geometric parameters. In a combined analysis of the young and the elderly OAS, no associations were found for SRP3 either with BMD or with hip geometry. Instead, we found that this polymorphism had a relatively large effect on weight (–1.149 kg) and body mass index (–0.389 kg/m2) (P = 0.021 and 0.006 under a codominant model). For SRP9, a significant association was found for femoral neck BMD (+0.020 g/cm2, P = 0.020) and a trend toward significance for hip geometry (buckling ratio of the narrow neck) but only when considering a recessive effect of the minor allele (C). No age-specific effects were found for either of the two SNPs. In summary, we are the first to find interesting associations between SRP3 and body composition. For SRP9, we replicated a site-specific association with femoral neck BMD. In addition, we report a novel association for this polymorphism with hip geometry.

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported by grants from the FWO (Fund for Scientific Research) Vlaanderen (G0117.06 N), the University of Antwerp (NOI-BOF and TOP-BOF), and the EU (FP7 TALOS project), all to W. V. H. This study was sponsored by the World-Anti Doping Agency (Montreal, Canada); Novo Nordisk (Bagsvaerd, Denmark); the Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark (Odense, Denmark); and the Danish Ministry of Culture (Copenhagen, Denmark). The authors also thank M. Nielsen for kind help with providing the details for the “Subjects and Methods” section.

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  1. Department of Medical Genetics, University and University Hospital of Antwerp, Prins Boudewijnlaan 43B, 2650, Edegem, Belgium

    Elke Piters, Fenna de Freitas & Wim Van Hul

  2. Department of Endocrinology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark

    Torben Leo Nielsen, Marianne Andersen & Kim Brixen

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  1. Elke Piters
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Correspondence to Wim Van Hul.

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Piters, E., de Freitas, F., Nielsen, T.L. et al. Association Study of Polymorphisms in the SOST Gene Region and Parameters of Bone Strength and Body Composition in Both Young and Elderly Men: Data from the Odense Androgen Study. Calcif Tissue Int 90, 30–39 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-011-9546-5

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