Endocrine Abstracts

Studies evaluated bone involvement in the metabolic control of fat cells. It has been reported that osteocalcin acts as a hormone in the body, causing beta cells in the pancreas to release more insulin, and at the same time directing fat cells to release adiponectin, which increases sensitivity to insulin.

The aim: Of the study was to evaluate osteocalcin levels in subjects with metabolic syndrome compared with age and sex matched control groups.

Subjects and methods: After signing a written consent form approved by the ethic committee, a number of 245 subjects, aged between 20 and 81 years were enrolled in two groups, with metabolic syndrome and controls. Both groups were subdivided in males with metabolic syndrome (27 subjects), control males (17 subjects), menopausal females with metabolic syndrome (33 subjects), menopausal control females (27 subjects), nine fertile females with metabolic syndrome and 12 controls.

Fasting blood samples were taken in order to determine the hematological, biochemical and hormonal status.

SPSS version 15 was used for statistical analysis.

Results: Results regarding the hematological, biochemical, hormonal profile, insulin resistance index and osteocalcin levels have been analyzed and successively compared, as means and as correlation coefficients, on study groups.

Significant differences regarding mean values were found for insulinemia in the metabolic syndrome group (P=0.01), females with metabolic syndrome (P=0.036). High HOMA mean values proved insulin resistance (P=0.002; P=0.011) in these groups.

Osteocalcin mean values, although in the normal range, were lower in men with metabolic syndrome (P=0.009), correlated negatively with waist circumference in males with metabolic syndrome (P=0.038), with triglycerides (P=0.017) in menopausal females with metabolic syndrome (P=0.04) and positively with HDL-cholesterol in these groups (P=0.039; P=0.046).

Conclusions: Osteocalcin is not only a bone marker but is also involved in insulin sensibility. Its values are influenced by sex, age and insulin resistance.