Relationship of serum GDF11 levels with bone mineral density and bone turnover markers in postmenopausal Chinese women

Abstract

Growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) is an important circulating factor that regulates aging. However, the role of GDF11 in bone metabolism remains unclear. The present study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between serum GDF11 level, bone mass, and bone turnover markers in postmenopausal Chinese women. Serum GDF11 level, bone turnover biochemical markers, and bone mineral density (BMD) were determined in 169 postmenopausal Chinese women (47–78 years old). GDF11 serum levels increased with aging. There were negative correlations between GDF11 and BMD at the various skeletal sites. After adjusting for age and body mass index (BMI), the correlations remained statistically significant. In the multiple linear stepwise regression analysis, age or years since menopause, BMI, GDF11, and estradiol were independent predictors of BMD. A significant negative correlation between GDF11 and bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) was identified and remained significant after adjusting for age and BMI. No significant correlation was noted between cross-linked N-telopeptides of type I collagen (NTX) and GDF11. In conclusion, GDF11 is an independent negative predictor of BMD and correlates with a biomarker of bone formation, BAP, in postmenopausal Chinese women. GDF11 potentially exerts a negative effect on bone mass by regulating bone formation.

Osteoporosis: A biomarker for age-dependent bone loss

A study in Chinese women reveals that levels of a protein circulating in the blood correlate with age-dependent bone loss. Although there is compelling evidence suggesting that growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) levels increase with age, different groups have obtained contradictory findings on its role in osteoporosis. Researchers led by GuangWei Wang at the Hunan University of Medicine and TieJian Jiang at the Xiangya Hospital of Central South University have now obtained evidence that this protein is linked with skeletal degeneration. After analyzing blood samples from 169 postmenopausal women, the researchers determined that elevated GDF11 levels correlated with reduced hip bone density and lower levels of an established protein biomarker of new bone formation. These findings offer additional support for GDF11 involvement in osteoporosis progression, although further research will be needed to clarify the mechanism.

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