Objective To investigate the expression of DKK1 and β-catenin gene in Wnt signaling pathway and the relationship with bone metabolism in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods Fifty patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and fifty patients with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) from the community and inpatient community in Shihezi, Xinjiang, were selected. Their clinical data such as age, height, and body weight were recorded. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), serum calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and other biochemical indicators were measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer. HbA1c were measured with high pressure liquid chromatography. Dual energy X-ray (DEXA) was used for the determination of bone mineral density of the lumbar vertebrae and femur. The expression of Dkk1 and β-catenin gene was detected using qRT-PCR and compared between groups. Results ①Compared with NGT group, there was no significant difference in age and BMI between T2DM and postmenopausal women (P>0.05). ②Compared with NGT group, the levels of the glucose metabolism indexes, FPG (5.47 ± 0.73, 9.26 ± 2.38), FOC (239.74 ± 36.54, 337.66 ± 87.31), and HbA1c (6.23 ± 0.92, 8.70 ± 1.76) in T2DM group increased (P<0.01), and bone metabolism indicators, P (1.11 ± 0.12,1.24 ± 0.16) also increased (P<0.01). ③BMD of the femur in T2DM group was significantly lower than that in NGT group (P<0.05). ④Compared with NGT group, the expression level of Dkk1 gene in peripheral leukocytes in T2DM group was 5.99 times higher and β-catenin gene was 0.46 times of that in NGT group. ⑤The expression of β-catenin gene in the postmenopausal female T2DM group was negatively correlated with P, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). ⑥Multivariate linear stepwise regression analysis was performed using bone metabolic markers (Ca, P, and ALP) as dependent variable and DKK1 and β-catenin as independent variables. In the T2DM group, β-catenin gene entry was caused by P and the regression equation for the variable, Y=1.445–0.287X. Conclusion The expression of Wnt signaling pathway is abnormal in postmenopausal women with T2DM. The high expression of Dkk1 gene may inhibit the transduction of its downstream pathway, leading to the low expression of β-catenin gene, resulting in the decrease of BMD level in this population, and then participating in the occurrence and development of osteoporosis (OP). |