Estrogen receptor alleles that are predictive of increased susceptibility to bone fracture

A method of detecting p and x alleles of a PvuII site and a XbaI site in an estrogen receptor α gene in a mammalian subject comprising at least one estrogen receptor α gene comprising a PvuII site and a XbaI site, wherein the PvuII site can exist as a P or p allelic form, and the XbaI site can exist as an X or x allelic form, said method comprising analyzing nucleic acid molecules obtained from the mammalian subject to determine which of the P, p X, and x alleles of the estrogen receptor α gene are present.

A method of determining the susceptibility of bone fracture and treating the same in a mammalian subject to prevent or reduce the risk of bone fracture, wherein the mammalian subject comprises at least one estrogen receptor α gene comprising a PvuII site and a XbaI site, wherein the PvuII site can exist as a P or pallelic form, and the XbaI site can exist as an X or x allelic form, the method comprising analyzing nucleic acid molecules obtained from the mammalian subject to determine which of the P, p, X and x alleles of the PvuII and XbaI sites of the estrogen receptor α gene are present, wherein the presence of a haplotype comprising the p and x alleles is indicative of an increased susceptibility to bone fracture, and treating the mammalian subject to reduce the risk of bone fracture if the subject has a haplotype comprising the p and x alleles.