If you are one of those who have developed osteoporosis — an autoimmune disease — after your menopause, you can eventually straight blame it on the bone-weakening disease.
Yes, the women’s tendency to grow weaker on their bones after they have attained menopause has been puzzling both the doctors and patients for years.
Women past menopause falling victim to osteoporosis lead to approximately 1.2 million bone fractures each year in the United States alone.
It is known that the oestrogen levels in women drop following menopause. A new study found that, it is this drop that upsets the balance of natural bone-remodeling by bone-dissolving cells – osteoclasts — and bone-producing cells – osteoblasts, shifting it towards the osteoclast activity.
The fall in the oestrogen levels lead the reactive oxygen species (ROSs) to accumulate in the bone marrow, prompting dendritic cells to prime other immune cells for the manufacture of tumour necrosis factor. This necrosis factor of tumor signals the osteoclasts to multiply – eventually leading to the bone weakening disease.
Thus, osteoporosis is triggered by immune cells in the bone marrow, i.e. the body’s white blood cells.
So, this finding opens up new research avenues in a bid to find a solution against the disease affecting more than 25 million Americans each year.
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