Article Text

other Versions

Download PDFPDF
Concise report
Low circulating Dickkopf-1 and its link with severity of spinal involvement in diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis
  1. L Senolt,
  2. H Hulejova,
  3. O Krystufkova,
  4. S Forejtova,
  5. L Andres Cerezo,
  6. J Gatterova,
  7. K Pavelka,
  8. J Vencovsky
  1. Institute of Rheumatology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Rheumatology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
  1. Correspondence to Ladislav Šenolt, Institute of Rheumatology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Rheumatology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Na Slupi 4, 12850 Prague 2, Czech Republic; seno{at}revma.cz

Abstract

Objective Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) is an inhibitor of osteoblastogenesis, and its lower levels are linked to new bone formation. The aim of this study was therefore to explore serum levels of DKK-1 and to evaluate DKK-1's association with the severity of spinal involvement in diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH).

Methods Serum levels of total and functional DKK-1 and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured in 37 patients with DISH and 22 healthy age and sex-matched controls. Plain radiographs of the cervical and thoracic spine were performed, and the diagnosis of DISH was defined using the Resnick criteria. Patients were divided into three groups based on spinal involvement. Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers were evaluated in patients with DISH.

Results The levels of total serum DKK-1 were significantly lower in patients with DISH than in healthy controls (p<0.0001). Importantly, low serum levels of DKK-1 were associated with more severe spinal involvement in DISH, independent of age, sex, disease duration, CRP, bone turnover markers or BMD. However, these findings were less significant for functional DKK-1.

Conclusion These observations indicate that DKK-1 may play a significant role in bone formation during DISH.

Statistics from Altmetric.com

Request Permissions

If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.

Footnotes

  • Funding This study was supported by the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, research project no 00023728.

  • Competing interests None.

  • Patient consent Obtained.

  • Ethics approval Ethics approval was obtained from the local ethics committee at the Institute of Rheumatology, Prague.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.