Relationship between age-related reference values of serum osteoprotegerin and leptin in native Chinese women and compared with those in women of other races.

Background: Osteoprotegerin (OPG) and leptin are important cellular factors in the regulation of bone remodeling. We investigated the serum OPG and leptin in Chinese women.
Methods: The serum OPG and leptin in 690 Chinese women aged 20-81 y were measured by an ELISA. The values of OPG and leptin in women of other races were acquired from previous reports on the same.
Results: The geometric mean values (+/- SD) of the serum OPG and leptin in Chinese women were 3.42+/-1.91 pmol/l and 10.5+/-1.99 microg/l, respectively. Further, the serum OPG (4.39+/-1.85 vs 2.74+/-1.81) and leptin (11.4+/-2.21 vs 9.68+/-1.81) in postmenopausal women were significantly higher than in premenopausal women. The serum OPG in middle-aged Chinese women was significantly higher than that in middle-aged Austrian and Icelandic women; however, this is quite contrary to the results obtained in the case of old-aged women. The values of serum leptin in Chinese women were significantly lower than those in white, black, and Mexican American women.
Conclusions: These results provide reliable reference values for OPG and leptin in Chinese adult women. The serum of OPG and leptin differ with ethnicity.