Circulating activin-A is elevated in postmenopausal women with low bone mass: the three-month effect of zoledronic acid treatment

Activin-A is expressed in bone and seems to regulate osteoclastogenesis. In this study, serum activin-A was increased in postmenopausal women with low bone mass and was positively correlated to age and negatively to lumbar spinal bone mineral density (BMD). Serum activin-A levels did not change 3 months after zoledronic acid infusion. The aims of the study were to evaluate prospectively the circulating activin-A levels in postmenopausal women with low bone mass and explore possible correlations with clinical and laboratory data, as well as the 3-month effect of zoledronic acid infusion. Postmenopausal women with low bone mass assigned to receive zoledronic acid infusion (Patients, n = 47) and age-matched, postmenopausal women with normal bone mass (Controls, n = 27) were recruited on an outpatient basis. Main outcome measurement was serum activin-A levels. Serum activin-A was higher in patients at baseline compared to controls (p < 0.001) and activin-A in the serum of patients and controls was positively correlated with age (Spearman’s coefficient of correlation [rs] = 0.325; p = 0.005) and negatively with lumbar spinal (LS) BMD (rs = -0.425; p < 0.001). In multiple linear regression analysis, only age (B = 8.93; 95 % CI = 4.39-13.46; p < 0.001) was associated with serum activin-A levels at baseline, independent from group (patients or controls), previous anti-osteoporotic treatment, LS BMD and follicle-stimulating hormone. Circulating activin-A levels were not affected 3 months after zoledronic acid infusion. Serum activin-A is increased in postmenopausal women with low bone mass compared with postmenopausal women with normal bone mass and is positively correlated to age and negatively to LS BMD.