Avaliação das concentrações plasmáticas de sTWEAK no diabetes mellitus e fraturas ósseas em mulheres na pós menopausa

Abstract

Osteoporosis is defined as an osteometabolic disease characterized by the reduction of bone mineral density (BMD) and micro-architectural deterioration, leading to enhanced bone fragility and increased susceptibility to fractures. Chronic inflammation affecting bone resorption and/or bone formation is an important mechanism in the hystopathology of osteoporosis. In this regard, several inflammatory markers are associated in special, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα). Recent evidence from the literature pointed out that other members of the TNF superfamily, the tumor necrosis factor TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK), in its soluble bioactive form (sTWEAK), has been related with diverse endocrine metabolic disarrangements such as diabetes mellitus or metabolic syndrome. Thus, we hypothesized a possible association between sTWEAK plasma levels and bone fractures and diabetes mellitus in post menopausal women. This was a cross sectional study nested in a cohort of 1057 post menopausal women outpatients attending the UBS, Unidades Básicas de Saúde, of Santa Maria. We used data from 52 individuals recruited who reported major bone fractures. For the control group, we aleatory recruited 110 individuals without the history of major bone fractures. All subjects in this study proceeded to a standard questionnaire about clinical data and were submitted to anthropometry evaluation. Blood samples were obtained for the biochemical profile consisting in fast glucose, total cholesterol, TG, HDL, LDL, creatinine, albumin, calcium and phosphorus in serum. sTWEAK concentration was established by ELISA. Assimetric variables were logN transformed. Student T test or Mann-Whitney test were used to comparison of data between two groups. For statistical analysis that form more than two groups were employed ANOVA or Chi quadrate and Fisher s test. An statistical significant reduction (p=0.002) of sTWEAK (log transformed) was observed in diabetes mellitus (DM) subjects in comparison to non-diabetics. There was no differences in the plasma levels of sTWEAK when the history of major bone fractures was analysed. Even when stratified for DM and fractures, Ln sTWEAK remained consistently reduced in the group of individuals with DM without fractures against non-diabetics no-fractures women (p <0.01). Findings from this study indicated that plasma levels of sTWEAK was not related with bone fragility in post menopausal women population. Nevertheless, low plasma levels of this biomarker were associated with diabetes mellitus, as previously described in the literature.