Interaction effects between estrogen receptor alpha gene, vitamin D receptor gene, age, and sex on bone mineral density in Chinese

J Hum Genet. 2003;48(10):514-519. doi: 10.1007/s10038-003-0068-5. Epub 2003 Sep 19.

Abstract

We evaluated the interaction effects between the estrogen receptor alpha gene (ER-alpha), vitamin D receptor gene (VDR), age and sex on bone mineral density (BMD) in a sample of 340 unrelated males and 297 unrelated females from 401 Chinese nuclear families. Polymorphisms of PvuII and XbaI in the ER-alpha gene and ApaI in the VDR gene were detected by RFLP, and ER-alpha genotype was defined by the haplotype reconstructed according to the two loci. In the females, significant ER-VDR gene interaction ( P<0.05) was found on the lumbar spine BMD. Such interaction might account for approximately 1.0% of the BMD variation. At the femoral neck and trochanter, significant ER-age interaction effects were observed, which might explain 0.3% BMD variation for both skeletal sites. In the males, significant VDR-age interaction was found on femoral neck BMD ( P<0.05), and it accounted for 0.6% BMD variation. These interaction effects were largely dependent on gender groups, suggesting there may exist ER-VDR-sex, ER-age-sex, and VDR-age-sex complex interactions in our Chinese sample.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Bone Density / genetics*
  • China / epidemiology
  • Estrogen Receptor alpha
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Receptors, Calcitriol / genetics*
  • Receptors, Estrogen / genetics*
  • Regression Analysis
  • Sex Factors

Substances

  • Estrogen Receptor alpha
  • Receptors, Calcitriol
  • Receptors, Estrogen