Postmenopausal osteoporosis is a chronic metabolic bone disease characterized by a gradual decrease in bone mineral density, deterioration of bone microarchitecture, and an increased risk of fractures. The primary cause is reduced estrogen levels after menopause, disrupting the balance between bone resorption and formation. One treatment option is teriparatide, a recombinant analogue of parathyroid hormone with an anabolic effect on bone.
Although treatment is effective in most patients, there is a smaller proportion in whom the expected increase in bone mineral density does not occur. The aim of our study was to determine whether the expression of selected microRNAs known to be involved in osteogenesis (hsa‑miR‑20b‑5p, hsa‑miR‑31‑3p, hsa‑miR‑133a‑3p, hsa‑miR‑375‑3p) changes during treatment, whether it differs between responsive and non-responsive patients, and whether these microRNAs could serve as predictive biomarkers of therapeutic response.
The study included 51 women with postmenopausal osteoporosis who received teriparatide treatment for one year. Based on the relative change in bone mineral density in the lumbar spine, they were classified into responder and non-responder groups (responders had a BMD increase of three percent or more, non-responders had an increase of less than three percent). Expression levels of selected microRNAs in serum samples, collected before treatment and after six months, were analysed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The most prominent differences were observed in hsa‑miR‑133a‑3p and hsa‑miR‑375‑3p, where relative expression levels were already significantly higher in non-responsive patients at baseline and remained elevated after six months of treatment. For hsa‑miR‑20b‑5p, a higher relative expression was observed in the non-responsive group after six months, which was unexpected given its known pro-osteogenic role. No statistically significant differences were found for hsa‑miR‑31‑3p, although a trend toward increased expression in the non-responsive group was noted.
Our results suggest that hsa‑miR‑133a‑3p and hsa‑miR‑375‑3p have potential clinical value as predictive biomarkers of response to teriparatide. This highlights the possibility of more personalized approaches to osteoporosis treatment, but confirmation with further research is needed.
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