Paper Title
Osteoprotegerin (T950c) Polymorphism and Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Indonesian Women

Abstract
Introduction: Bone remodeling is controlled by the balance of bone formation and resorption, where osteoprotegerin (OPG) has a role in inhibiting bone resorption by osteoclasts. In postmenopausal women, the balance is tipped towards resorption, resulting in bone loss and finally osteoporosis. This study aimed to explore the possible association of the OPG gene (T950C) polymorphism with bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis risk in postmenopausal Indonesian women. Materials and methods: The study included 285 consenting postmenopausal Indonesian women, of which 81 were classified as normal (healthy), 143 with osteopenia, and 61 with osteoporosis according to T-scores based on ultrasound densitometry of calcaneous bone. Blood-derived DNA samples were used for PCR-RFLP analysis of OPG polymorphism (T950C, rs2073617). Chi-square and OR testing were mainly used for statistical analysis, assuming significance at p < 0.05. Results: The results showed a genotype (TT, TC, CC) distribution consistent with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium but with low fraction (3.2%) of the mutant CC genotype compared to the same polymorphism reported from elsewhere. No significant difference of the genotype or allele frequencies was found in the BMD groups, and it was concluded that the tested polymorphism is not associated with the risk of osteoporosis. Key words - Osteoporosis, OPG, polymorphism, T950C, rs2073617