Researchers at the National University of Singapore have shown that high levels of the chemokine CXCL9 are associated with an increased risk of hip fracture in men, but not in women. Article published Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.
The study included 55 men and 119 women who suffered a hip fracture an average of 6.2 years after the blood test. The control group consisted of 55 people without fractures. The mean age of patients at the onset of hip fracture was 75.4 in men and 73.3 in women. Men who developed a hip fracture had a lower average BMI and were more likely to smoke, while women who developed a hip fracture were more likely to have diabetes.
Compared with the control group, the researchers observed higher levels of the chemokine CXCL9, which was present in the men’s blood even before the fracture. No such association was found for women. This may be due to differences in sex hormones.
The scientists’ results raise the possibility of early interventions targeting the transmission of the proinflammatory signaling molecules CXCL9, which may be beneficial in preventing hip fractures in older men.
Bone regeneration requires the coordinated work of different bone cells: osteoblasts that form bone and osteoclasts that destroy it. Osteoporosis occurs when osteoclast activity predominates. Osteoporosis and related hip fractures are more common in women. CXCL9 may increase fracture risk by promoting osteoclast formation in men.