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Objective:Osteoporosis is a multifactorial disease characterized by decreased bone mineral density and deterioration of the microstructure of bone tissue. The existence of various candidate genes affecting bone mass has been reported. In this study, we examined the relationship between PPAR-α gene intron 7 G>C (rs4253778) polymorphism and osteoporosis.Materials and Methods:The stud included 250 postmenopausal women (150 cases with osteoporosis and 100 postmenopausal healthy controls) mostly from the Central Black Sea Region. Peripheral blood samples were taken from the patient and control groups, and deoxyribonucleic acid isolation was performed using the kit methodology. Genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 20 program and chi-square analyzes were performed for statistical analysis.Results:Because of the study, while there was no statistical significant association between genotype distribution and osteoporosis, the C allele frequency was higher in the patient group and it was statistically significant (p=0.017).Conclusion:To our knowledge, this is the first study conducted in the Central Black Sea Region, Turkey. By expanding the study population and combining the results, more descriptive results regarding the susceptibility of polymorphic regions to osteoporosis can be obtained.

Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the knowledge of osteoporosis (OP) and the sources of information about the disease among medical students and the effect of the medical training on their awareness about the OP. Material and Methods: Two hundred twenty seven students were asked if they knew OP. Two hundred fifteen students reported that they were familiar with OP. Statistical analysis was done among these 215 students. The questionnaire included 7 questions. Participants were divided into three groups: English preparatory year’s students (EP), first year’s students, second year’s students. Results: Most of the students (94.4%, n=203) thought that OP was serious health problem. Two hundred three students(94%) believed that inadequate dietary calcium and vitamin D intake was the cause of OP. Bone densitometry was the mainly chosen (90.1%) diagnostic method. As source of knowledge from television was reported by 63.7% of the students. Number of the students who knew, in which population OP was seen, correctly (p=0.035) and who reported the health professionals as the source of knowledge (p=0.001) were significantly increased in first and second classes when compared with EP class. Conclusions: We observed that medical student who had no lessons of OP, have knowledge about OP by means of television and newspaper. (From the World of Osteoporosis 2009;15:43-7)