Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Bone mineral density (BMD) is the most widely used predictor of fracture risk. We performed the largest meta-analysis to date on lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD, including 17 genome-wide association studies and 32,961 individuals of European and east Asian ancestry. We tested the top BMD-associated markers for replication in 50,933 independent subjects and for association with risk of low-trauma fracture in 31,016 individuals with a history of fracture (cases) and 102,444 controls. We identified 56 loci (32 new) associated with BMD at genome-wide significance (P < 5 × 10(-8)). Several of these factors cluster within the RANK-RANKL-OPG, mesenchymal stem cell differentiation, endochondral ossification and Wnt signaling pathways. However, we also discovered loci that were localized to genes not known to have a role in bone biology. Fourteen BMD-associated loci were also associated with fracture risk (P < 5 × 10(-4), Bonferroni corrected), of which six reached P < 5 × 10(-8), including at 18p11.21 (FAM210A), 7q21.3 (SLC25A13), 11q13.2 (LRP5), 4q22.1 (MEPE), 2p16.2 (SPTBN1) and 10q21.1 (DKK1). These findings shed light on the genetic architecture and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying BMD variation and fracture susceptibility.

Original publication

DOI

10.1038/ng.2249

Type

Journal article

Journal

Nature genetics

Publication Date

15/04/2012

Volume

44

Pages

491 - 501

Addresses

Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Keywords

Femur Neck, Lumbar Vertebrae, Humans, Osteoporosis, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Glycoproteins, Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins, Spectrin, Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins, Phosphoproteins, Extracellular Matrix Proteins, Risk Factors, Gene Expression Profiling, Computational Biology, Bone Density, Genotype, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Quantitative Trait Loci, European Continental Ancestry Group, Female, Male, Fractures, Bone, Genome-Wide Association Study, Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-5