Expression data from human osteoblast cultures

Studies in Aotearoa New Zealand found higher bone mineral density and lower rate of hip fracture in people of Polynesian ancestry compared to Europeans. We hypothesised that differences in osteoblast gene expression contribute to the differences in bone properties between the two groups, and aimed to identify mechanisms that underlie the bone phenotype. Bone samples were obtained from people of Polynesian and European ancestry who had total joint replacement surgeries for osteoarthritis, and primary osteoblasts were cultured from bone fragments. RNA was extracted from the osteoblasts, and gene expression was compared between the two groups, using 10 samples from each.