Association of Estrogen Receptor Gene Polymorphism in Patients with Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesise

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible association of estrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha) gene polymorphisms in a cohort of degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS) patients. Methods : Accordingly, the authors examined the association between DS and ER alpha gene polymorphisms in 174 patients diagnosed with DS. The PVu II and Xba I polymorphisms, bone mineral density at the lumbar spine and femoral neck, and biochemical markers were analyzed and compared in the 174 patients with DS and 214 patients with spinal stenosis (SS). Results : A comparison of genotype frequencies in DS and SS patients revealed a significant difference for the Pvu II polymorphism only (p = 0.0452). No significant difference was found between these two groups with respect to the Xba I polymorphism, BMD or biochemical markers. No significant association was found between the Pvu II polymorphism of ER alpha and BMD, vertebral slip or biochemical markers in patients with DS. Conclusion : These results suggest that the ER alpha gene polymorphism using PVu II restriction enzyme influences the prevalence of DS.