A novel circulating osteoimmunological signature for diagnosis: integrating CXCL2, FYN, galectin-3, and STING in postmenopausal osteoporosis

The emerging field of bone immunology has clarified the intricate interactions between the immune system and bone metabolism. This investigation was designed to examine changes in concentrations of critical immune cytokines-C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CXCL-2), FYN (a Src family nonreceptor tyrosine kinase), Galectin-3 (a β-galactoside-specific lectin), and stimulator of interferon genes (STING)-in postmenopausal osteoporotic women, and to explore their potential as biomarkers for early diagnosis of postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP).

Between June and September 2025, researchers recruited 100 postmenopausal women diagnosed with osteoporosis and 100 with osteopenia from the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, who were subsequently allocated to the Osteoporosis and Osteopenia groups, respectively. Concentrations of CXCL-2, FYN, Galectin-3, and STING were ascertained employing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) across all study groups.

Within the Osteoporosis group, CXCL-2 and FYN concentrations demonstrated marked elevation relative to the NC group, whereas Galectin-3 and STING concentrations showed marked reduction (P < 0.05). Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analyses revealed that CXCL-2, FYN, Galectin-3, and STING levels were strongly associated with BMD. ROC analysis demonstrated that Galectin-3 exhibited the greatest diagnostic precision for PMOP, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.881. Additionally, the combined diagnostic performance of all four factors surpassed that of any single marker.

CXCL-2, FYN, Galectin-3, and STING, as immune-related molecules, are integral to bone immune regulation and are closely associated with the pathogenesis of PMOP, positioning them as potential biomarkers for its early diagnosis.