Bone Quality in Premenopausal Women with Idiopathic Fragility Fractures

描述(申请人提供)：由于骨质疏松症在绝经后妇女中最为常见，大多数权威研究都对其在老年人群中的流行病学、发病机制、诊断和治疗进行了研究。绝经前妇女被诊断为骨质疏松症的频率要低得多。在绝经前患有骨质疏松症的妇女中，有相当一部分是次要原因，如糖皮质激素过多、乳糜泻或神经性厌食症。确定致病条件有助于指导临床治疗。然而，一些患有骨质疏松的年轻女性没有明确的病因，据说患有特发性骨质疏松症(IOP)。在这些年轻女性中，目前关于病因或治疗的信息很少。这项研究计划的目的是描述绝经前健康女性的骨质疏松性骨病的特征，这些女性都有轻微创伤骨折，并且没有已知的潜在原因。在一项横断面病例对照研究中，受影响的女性将与正常女性进行比较。将利用临床、生化、激素、密度测量、放射学和组织形态计量学分析来确定病例和对照对象之间的差异。这一建议的核心是我们的假设，即绝经前妇女的眼压是一种骨骼质量的紊乱。为了验证这一假设，我们将使用最先进的工具来测量骨质量的关键因素，包括骨转换、几何形状、微结构和材料特性。非侵入性技术，如中心定量计算机断层扫描和超高分辨率外周定量计算机断层扫描，一种非常新的方法，将被用于确定骨几何、皮质和骨小梁结构和连通性。将获得经皮骨活检，并通过定量静态和动态组织形态计量学进行分析。此外，还将利用较新的活检分析技术来确定骨的三维结构和强度以及骨矿物和基质的材料特性。这种对年轻女性眼压紊乱的描述是为那些受这种疾病影响的人制定有针对性的治疗战略的重要的第一步。此外，这个项目将允许我接受指导和培训，作为五年职业发展计划的一部分。因此，我将获得评估骨骼质量的技术和解释技能，这对我作为代谢性骨骼疾病领域的独立调查员的职业生涯是必要的。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Since osteoporosis is most common in postmenopausal women, most of the definitive studies have examined its epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment in this older population. Osteoporosis is diagnosed much less frequently in premenopausal women. In a substantial proportion of premenopausal women with osteoporosis, a secondary cause, such as glucocorticoid excess, celiac disease, or anorexia nervosa, is found. Identification of the contributing condition helps to guide clinical management. However, some young women with osteoporosis do not have a definable cause, and are said to have idiopathic osteoporosis (IOP). In these young women, there is very little information currently available on etiology or therapy. The goal of this research proposal is to characterize the osteoporotic bone disorder in otherwise healthy premenopausal women who present with low-trauma fractures, and who do not have a known underlying cause. Affected women will be compared to normal women in a cross-sectional, case-control study. Clinical, biochemical, hormonal, densitometric, radiographic, and histomorphometric analyses will be utilized to define differences between cases and control subjects. Central to this proposal is our hypothesis that IOP in premenopausal women is a disorder of bone quality. To test this hypothesis, we will use state-of-the-art tools to measure key elements of bone quality, including bone turnover, geometry, microarchitecture, and material properties. Noninvasive techniques such as central quantitative computed tomography and ultrahigh resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography, a very new approach, will be used to determine bone geometry, cortical and trabecular bone structure and connectivity. A percutaneous bone biopsy will be obtained and analyzed by quantitative static and dynamic histomorphometry. In addition, newer biopsy analytic techniques will be utilized to determine the 3-dimensional structure and strength of bone and material properties of bone mineral and matrix. This characterization of the disorder of IOP in young women is an essential first step towards the development of targeted treatment strategies for those affected by this condition. In addition, this project will allow me to receive mentorship and training as part of a 5-year career development plan. I will thus acquire the technical and interpretive skills in the assessment of bone quality that will be necessary for my career as an independent investigator in the field of metabolic bone diseases.