Effects of Primary Osteoporosis on Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

In the present study we analyzed the effect of primary osteoporosis on the transcriptome of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC; alternatively named mesenchymal stromal cells) from human bone marrow. Human MSC of elderly patients suffering from osteoporosis were isolated from femoral heads after low-energy fracture of the femoral neck. Bone marrow of age-matched, non-osteoporotic donors was obtained of femoral heads after total hip arthroplasty. Cells were isolated from human bone marrow according to the previously described protocol (Noth et al., 2002, J Orthop Res, 20/5, 1060-1069) under agreement of the local Ethics Committee of the University of Würzburg. Human MSC of elderly patients suffering from osteoporosis were isolated from femoral heads after low-energy fracture of the femoral neck. Additional criteria for confirming primary osteoporosis in these donors were vertebrae fractures and advanced age. Bone marrow of age-matched, non-osteoporotic donors was obtained of femoral heads after total hip arthroplasty due to osteoarthritis and/or hip dysplasia. RNA samples were taken from passage 1 or passage 2.