Osteoporosis and transforming growth factor-beta-1 gene polymorphism in Chinese men and women

Transforming growth factor-beta-1 (TGF-B-1) has been implicated in bone mineral density (BMD) determination. We investigated the relationship between the TGF polymorphism, BMD, and vertebral fractures in 588 Chinese men and women. No association between TGF polymorphism and BMD was observed in postmenopausal women (aged 55-59 years), elderly men (aged 70-79 years), or elderly women (aged 70-79 years) at the hip, spine, or total body (P > 0.05 by two-way ANOVA). In all study groups, there was no effect of an interaction between TGF polymorphism and calcium intake on BMD (P > 0.05 for the interaction effects by two-way ANOVA). No statistical significant association was observed between TGF polymorphism and vertebral fracture in elderly men or women (P > 0.05 by the chi-square test), even though men of the TT and TC genotypes seem to have more vertebral fractures. Contrary to previous studies that found an association between BMD and TGF polymorphism in the Japanese, we found no association between TGF polymorphism and BMD of elderly Chinese men or women. This finding could result from different sampling methods between the previous and current studies and environmental factors and ethnic differences between the two populations.