ObjectiveTo understand the genetics associations between low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5) gene polymorphisms and susceptibility of osteoporosis in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).MethodsThree hundred and seventy-nine patients with acute exacerbation of COPD were divided into groups of non osteoporosis and osteoporosis. Genomic DNA was extracted from all patients. UCSC genome browser and Haploview 4.2 software were used to screen tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (tagSNP) of LRP5 gene. The tagSNP was genotyped by Sequenom MassARRAY SNP detection method. Logistic regression were used to analysis the odds ratio (OR) values and confidence intervals (CI) of each SNP in different genetic models to assess the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms in LRP5 gene and osteoporosis in COPD patients.ResultsEight tagSNPs of LRP5 gene (rs312016 T/C, rs312017 C/T, rs312018 A/G, rs3736228 C/T, rs901823 T/C, rs589963 G/A, rs638051 A/G, rs671494 C/A) were selected for association analysis. Patients of rs901823 carrying C/C genotype had a higher risk of osteoporosis than those carrying T/T and C/T genotypes in COPD patients (in recessive mode, C/C vs. T/T+C/T, OR=9.42, 95%CI=2.01–44.29), P=0.000 431 8).ConclusionsThere is a significant association between rs901823 of LRP5 gene and osteoporosis in patients with COPD. Further studies are needed to discover the mechanism of LRP5 gene polymorphism in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis in COPD patients.