循环microRNA检测在骨质疏松发生中的研究进展

The research progress of circulating microRNAs as potential diagnostic biom arkers for osteoporosis

骨质疏松是最常见的与年龄相关的骨类疾病,常常无临床症状,一般骨折发生后才被确诊。通过骨密度和常规骨标志物很难评估骨质疏松患者骨质量及预测骨折风险。microRNA (miRNA)可以调控参与骨重构的成骨细胞和破骨细胞的分化及活性。研究发现绝经后妇女血清及骨组织中miRNA存在差异表达,提示miRNA一方面在骨重构中发挥重要作用,另一方面参与绝经后妇女骨质疏松的发生。本文就miRNA在骨质疏松及其骨折患者中调控作用的最新研究进行综述,并讨论循环miRNA作为骨质疏松新型生物标志物的可能。

Osteoporosis is the most common age-related bone disease and is usually clinically asymptomatic until the fracture happens.The assessment of bone quality and the prediction of fracture risk in osteoporosis are complex as bone mineral density(BMD) and bone markers do not sufficiently explain the increased fracture risk. microRNA(miRNA) can modulate the differentiation and activities of osteoblasts and osteoclasts,the key cells that are involved in bone remodeling process. Research has shown that the expression profiles of miRNAs in the serum and bone tissues are significantly different in postmenopausal women. It can be postulated that miRNAs might play an important role in bone remodeling and that they are very likely to be involved in the pathological process of postmenopausal osteoporosis. In this review,we present the updated research on the regulatory roles of miRNAs in osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture patients. The perspective of circulating miRNAs as novel biomarkers in osteoporosis has been discussed.