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Letter

Nature Genetics 14, 203–205 (1 October 1996) | doi:10.1038/ng1096-203

Reduced bone density and osteoporosis associated with a polymorphic Sp1 binding site in the collagen type I |[alpha]| 1 gene

Struan F. A. Grant , David M. Reid , Glen Blake , Ruth Herd , Ignac Fogelman & Stuart H. Ralston

Osteoporosis is a common disease with a strong genetic component1–3, characterized by reduced bone mass and increased fracture risk4. Current evidence suggests that the inheritance of bone mass is under polygenic control5 but the genes responsible are poorly defined.