Osteocalcin, glucose metabolism, lipid profile and chronic low-grade inflammation in middle-aged and elderly Chinese.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the relationship between serum total osteocalcin and measurements of adiposity, glucose tolerance, lipid profile, adipokine and chronic low-grade inflammation in middle-aged and elderly Chinese subjects.


METHODS
We performed a cross-sectional community-based study in central Shanghai. Serum total osteocalcin was measured by radioimmunoassay in 783 men and 946 post-menopausal women. Their associations with measurements of adiposity, glucose tolerance, lipid profile and chronic low-grade inflammation were examined.


RESULTS
Serum total osteocalcin levels revealed a sexual dimorphism, with post-menopausal women having significantly higher levels than men (P < 0.001). Serum osteocalcin levels of participants with self-reported cardiovascular disease were significantly lower (P = 0.044) than those without. In men, serum osteocalcin levels of participants with the metabolic syndrome were significantly lower than those without the metabolic syndrome (P = 0.036). Serum osteocalcin correlated negatively with fasting serum insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, alanine aminotransferase, triglycerides and total cholesterol, and positively with homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function in both men and post-menopausal women (all P < 0.05). In men, serum osteocalcin correlated negatively with BMI, diastolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose and 2-h oral glucose tolerance test glucose after adjustment for age (all P < 0.05). In post-menopausal women, serum osteocalcin correlated negatively with waist-hip ratio, LDL cholesterol and C-reactive protein, and positively with adiponectin (all P < 0.05). Serum osteocalcin was not associated with CXC chemokine ligand 5 level (P > 0.05). Alanine aminotransferase was an independent predictor of serum osteocalcin in both men and post-menopausal women (both P < 0.001). Adiponectin was an independent predictor of serum osteocalcin in post-menopausal women (P = 0.011). Serum osteocalcin was an independent predictor of homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function in both genders (both P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Serum total osteocalcin was closely associated with glucose and lipid metabolism in both Chinese men and post-menopausal women.
Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai.
L
L
Chen
Q
Q
Li
Z
Z
Yang
Z
Z
Ye
Y
Y
Huang
M
M
He
J
J
Wen
X
X
Wang
B
B
Lu
J
J
Hu
C
C
Liu
C
C
Ling
S
S
Qu
R
R
Hu
D052242:Adiponectin / Q000378:metabolism; D050154:Adiposity / Q000502:physiology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D054365:Chemokine CXCL5 / Q000378:metabolism; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000378:metabolism*; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood; D012727:Sex Characteristics
D052242:Adiponectin; D001786:Blood Glucose; C486263:CXCL5 protein, human; D054365:Chemokine CXCL5; D015675:Osteocalcin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein