Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 30, 2026
Skeletal Muscle Gender Dimorphism from Proteomics
Published on: December 14, 2011
Evidence of sexual dimorphism in relationships between estrogen receptor polymorphisms and bone mass: the
Elaine Dennison1, Holly Syddall, Caroline Fall
1MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, England. emd@mrc.soton.ac.uk
Objective:
To examine the relationship between estrogen receptor (ER) a and ss gene polymorphisms and bone mass.
Methods:
Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured at the lumbar spine and proximal femur twice, 4 years apart, in a cohort of 147 men and 125 women aged 61-73 years. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood samples, and genotyping for the ER (PvuII, XbaI, and AluI) was undertaken.
Results:
There were no significant associations between either the XbaI or PvuII polymorphisms and bone mass, or bone loss in the cohort as a whole. However, men homozygous for the aa beta receptor polymorphism had higher BMD at the lumbar spine (p = 0.05), femoral neck (p = 0.01), and total femur (p = 0.01). Women homozygous for aa had lower femoral neck and total femoral BMD than women of the AA or Aa genotypes (p = 0.01 and p = 0.02). Gender*ERbeta interaction terms were statistically significant (p = 0.02 for lumbar spine BMD, p = 0.0004 for femoral neck BMD, and p = 0.0003 for total femoral BMD, each test with 2 degrees of freedom unadjusted). Adjustment for sex hormone concentration and lifestyle factors made little difference to our results.
Conclusion:
We found relationships between the ERbeta gene and the determination of bone mass among men and women in their seventh decade.
Related Concept Videos
01:40Bone Remodeling
02:45The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes
Normal male Drosophila has a ratio of one X chromosome to two sets of autosomes. In contrast, normal female...
01:29Bone Disorders
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
01:17Hormones and Bone Tissue
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
01:27Signs of Puberty
01:28Menopause