Circulating sclerostin levels in relation to nutritional status, sex hormones and selected bone turnover biochemical markers levels in peri- and postmenopausal women

Objectives: Hormonal changes during the peri- and postmenopausal age, especially decreasing estradiol levels as the result of the expired ovarian function, are an established link of the pathogenesis of postmenopausal osteoporosis. The objective of the study was to examine the association between the circulating sclerostin levels and nutritional status, sex hormones and selected bone markers turnover levels in peri- and postmenopausal women. Material and methods: The study enrolled 84 stable-body mass women (31 perimenopausal and 54 postmenopausal). Anthropometric measurements and serum estrone, testosterone, androstenedione, DHEA-S, osteocalcin, beta-CTx, 25-OH-Vitamin D and sclerostin levels were obtained. Results: There were not any differences between body mass, BMI, body fat and waist circumference between the study groups. The serum androstenedione and DHEA-S levels were similar in both study groups. However, estrone and total testosterone levels were observed to be notably higher in the perimenopausal group, unlike in the postmenopausal group (124.1 pg/mL vs. 98.3 pg/mL, p < 0.01 and 0.3 pg/mL vs. 0.22 pg/mL, p < 0.01, respectively). Higher plasma osteocalcin and beta-CTx levels were shown in the postmenopausal rather than in the perimenopausal group (19.8 ng/mL vs. 16.8 ng/mL, p < 0.001 and 0.35 ng/mL vs. 0.29 ng/mL, p < 0.05, respectively). Plasma sclerostin and 25-OH-Vitamin D levels were similar. There was not any correlation between plasma sclerostin levels and the other studied parameters. In the multivariate regression analyses, sclerostin levels were proportional to the androstenedione ones (b = 0.06; p < 0.05) but inversely related to the log 10(testosterone) levels (b = -0.18; p < 0.05). Conclusions: Circulating sclerostin levels are similar in peri- and postmenopausal women and are related to the androstenedione and testosterone levels regardless of the nutritional status.