AGE-RELATED SOMATIC MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA DELETIONS IN BONE

Background-It has been suggested that the accumulation of damage to mi tochondrial DNA is a major cause of age related, degenerative disease. Aging is known to cause bone loss leading to a fall in bone mineral d ensity and disruption of bone microarchitecture. However, despite the evidence of age related bone loss, no attempt has been made to detect specific deletions of mitochondrial DNA in the bone of aged individual s. Aims-To detect bone specific, age related deletions in mitochondria l DNA. Method-Blood leucocytes and bone biopsies from patients who had undergone orthopaedic surgery were used as a source of mitochondrial DNA and screened for deletions using the polymerase chain reaction. Re sults-Although no deletions were detected in the blood mitochondrial D NA, specific deletions in bone mitochondrial DNA were found in three o f five elderly subjects. Conclusion-The findings of this study suggest that there could be a link between mitochondrial DNA deletions and fr ee radical induced apoptosis of bone cells in the development of age r elated bone loss.