title: Relationships between serum osteocalcin, leptin and the effect of weight loss by pharmacological treatment in healthy, nonsmoking Korean obese adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent studies have reported a relationship between osteocalcin (OC) levels and factors associated with energy metabolism and insulin resistance. As any detailed understanding of OC mechanisms still remains elusive, this study aimed at revealing a correlation between serum OC levels and obesity in healthy, nonsmoking, Korean obese adults who had undergone weight loss through pharmacological treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  119 healthy, nonsmoking, Korean obese adults were investigated at 3 months following weight loss through pharmacological treatment. Serum OC, leptin, HOMA score, ghrelin, visceral fat mass, total body fat, and BMI were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increase in serum OC was significantly associated with decreases in: BMI (and weight change %) (r=-0.209, p=0.023), visceral fat mass (r=-0.189, p=0.049), HOMA (r=-0.203 p=0.027), and leptin (r=-0.253 p=0.006), but not with changes in adiponectin (r=+0.029, p=NS), and Ghrelin (r=+0.019, p=NS). Decrease in leptin (β=-0.280, p=0.002) was significantly associated with an increase in serum OC, after pharmacological weight loss treatment was adjusted for age, sex, drug type, and BMI (or visceral fat mass).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum OC was significantly increased at 3 months after pharmacological weight loss. We further found that leptin levels were associated with changes in serum OC. These findings suggest a relationship between bone and adipose tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Gachon University of Medicine and Science, Namdong-gu, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Heuy-sun
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: In-cheol
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Kyung-sik
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kyoung Kon
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000097:blood*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D015431:Weight Loss; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin; D015675:Osteocalcin