title: Elevated undercarboxylated and reduced carboxylated osteocalcin are associated with metabolic syndrome in middle age Asian females.
abstract: Accumulating data suggest that bone plays a role in energy metabolism through decarboxylation of osteocalcin. Thus, we aimed to study the association of circulating under--carboxylated osteocalcin (UC-OCN) and car-boxylated osteocalcin (C-OCN) with metabolic syndrome in middle aged Asian population.In this cross-sectional study, 131 middle aged Asian subjects were recruited. Circulating UC-OCN, C-OCN and parameters of metabolic phenotype were measured.Circulating UC-OCN was increased in subjects with metabolic syndrome (8.1±7.2 ng/ml vs. 5.9±4.6 ng/ml, p=0.036). In contrast, C-OCN showed a non-significant trend towards reduction in subjects with metabolic syndrome (3.6±2.2 ng/ml vs. 4.3±1.8 ng/ml, p=0.057). Further analysis revealed that changes in both UC-OCN and C-OCN occurred primarily among females with metabolic syndrome. Interestingly, neither forms of OCN differed significantly between individuals with and without metabolic syndrome in males. Logistic regression revealed that UC-OCN was independently associated with metabolic syndrome after adjusting for multiple covariates. However, association between metabolic syndrome and C-OCN was dependent on gender (i. e., amongst females only) in the fully adjusted regression model.Variation in OCN (including its sub-species) was associated with variation in metabolic parameters amongst Asian adults. Circulating UC-OCN was increased while C-OCN was decreased in treatment-naïve females with metabolic syndrome. Our preliminary observations further supported a potential link between bone and energy metabolism in humans.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Unit, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Republic of Singapore. liu.jianjun@alexandrahealth.com.sg
authors.forename: J-J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Toy
authors.forename: M D S
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: C S H
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tavintharan
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Sum
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015675:Osteocalcin