Urinary Biomarkers of OI Pathobiology

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a rare inherited disorder that causes bones to break easily. Individuals with osteogenesis imperfecta break bones often and may have other problems, including hearing loss, dental problems, pain and difficulty getting around. Before the genetic cause of OI was known, OI was classified into four types. Each type was based upon the symptoms and severity of OI. In most people with OI, the cause is a change in one of the genes that makes a protein called type 1 collagen. Some doctors now classify OI both on how severe it is as well as which gene is causing OI. When people classify OI this way, there are more than 10 types of OI. The current laboratory testing to determine OI subtype involves the collection of blood and/or skin cells.