Shin Young Park; Kuen Tak Suh; Chang Hoon Ryu; Seung Hun Woo; Jung Sub Lee; Seong-Gang Kim

doi:10.12671/jkfs.2008.21.2.145

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Park, Suh, Ryu, Woo, Lee, and Kim: Alterations in Serum Levels of Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-κB Ligand and Osteoprotegerin in Patients with Head Injury and Fracture

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Fracture Society 2008; 21(2): 145-150.

Published online: 30 April 2008

DOI: https://doi.org/10.12671/jkfs.2008.21.2.145

Alterations in Serum Levels of Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-κB Ligand and Osteoprotegerin in Patients with Head Injury and Fracture

Shin Young Park, Kuen Tak Suh, M.D.^*, Chang Hoon Ryu, M.D.^*, Seung Hun Woo, M.D.^*, Jung Sub Lee, M.D.^*, Seong-Gang Kim^†

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea.

^*Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea.

^†Department of Nuclear Medicine, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea.

Address reprint requests to: Jung Sub Lee, M.D. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Pusan National University Hospital, 10, Ami-dong 1-ga, Seo-gu, Busan 602-739, Korea. Tel: 82-51-240-7248, Fax: 82-51-247-8395, jungsublee@pusan.ac.kr

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose

Receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL), osteoprotegerin (OPG) have been shown to be important regulators of osteoclastogenesis during bone remodeling, and their expressions were examined during fracture healing in a mouse model of tibial fracture. However, studies linking RANKL and OPG in patients with head injury and fracture are lacking. We evaluated the changes in serum levels of RANKL and OPG in patients with head injury and fracture (head injury group) and in patients with fracture (fracture group) and compared these with levels found in healthy control subjects.

Materials and Methods

18 male patients of head injury and fracture and 20 male patients of fracture alone were enrolled. 20 healthy men were recruited to serve as controls. Within the first few hours of admission to hospital, at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after injury 20 ml of blood were obtained from 18 patients with head injury and fracture and 20 patients with fracture only.

Results

RANKL levels were significantly lower in the head injury group than in the fracture group at 8 and 12 weeks after injury. OPG levels were significantly higher in the head injury group than in the fracture group at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after injury. RANKL/OPG ratios were significantly lower in the head injury group than in the controls immediately after and 4, 8 and 12 weeks after injury, and were significantly lower in the head injury group than in the fracture group at 8 and 12 weeks after injury.

Conclusion

We have shown changes in the profiles of RANKL, OPG and RANKL to OPG ratio. The altered RANKL, OPG and RANKL/OPG ratio in the head injury group lasted longer than in those of the fracture group.

Keywords: Head injury, Fracture, RANKL, OPG

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1

The RANKL levels of the three groups were expressed in terms of the pg/ml immediately after injury, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after injury (statistically significant difference, ^; Head injury and fracture group and control group, ^; Fracture group and control group, ^; Head injury and fracture group and Fracture group).

Fig. 2

The OPG levels of the three group were expressed in terms of the pg/mL immediately after injury, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after injury (statistically significant difference, ^; Head injury and fracture group and control group, ^; Fracture group and control group, ^; Head injury and fracture group and Fracture group).

Fig. 3

The RANKL/OPG levels of the three groups were showed immediately after injury, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after injury (statistically significant difference, ^; Head injury and fracture group and control group, ^; Fracture group and control group, ^; Head injury and fracture group and Fracture group).

Table 1

Details of the patients with head injury and fracture

Table 2

Details of the patients with fracture

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