Serum osteocalcin in subjects with metabolic syndrome and central obesity.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine if osteocalcin is related to adiposity and hyperglycaemia in metabolic syndrome irrespective of the presence of diabetes mellitus.


METHODS
This was a cross sectional study of 90 patients (59 men and 31 women) with metabolic syndrome as defined by the International Diabetes Federation criteria. Based on medical history 50 out of 90 patients had a diabetes. Anthropometric data were collected and blood taken for measurement of osteocalcin, fasting lipids, fasting glucose and insulin resistance (using homeostatic model assessment index, HOMA-IR).


RESULTS
Osteocalcin correlated negatively with fasting glucose (r=-0.366, p<0.001) and HOMA-IR (r=-0.305, p<0.05) but not with waist circumference (r=0.079), body mass index (r=0.028), total cholesterol (r=0.061) or triglycerides (r=0.009). Diabetics had higher HOMA-IR (p<0.01) and lower osteocalcin levels (p<0.01) than non-diabetics. Among diabetics, osteocalcin correlated with glucose only (r=-0.341, p=0.015). In non-diabetics, osteocalcin correlated with HOMA-IR (r=-0.359, p=0.023) via insulin (r=-0.402, p=0.010). Patients with impaired fasting glucose levels (5.6-6.9mmol/L) had the same HOMA-IR as diabetics (p=0.076) but not low osteocalcin (p=0.025).


CONCLUSIONS
In this cross-sectional study of subjects with metabolic syndrome and central obesity, low osteocalcin was associated with diabetes but not adiposity.
Department of Pathology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: khalidah@ppukm.ukm.edu.my.
Khalidah M
KM
Bador
Department of Pathology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Lim D
LD
Wee
Department of Pathology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Siti Aizon A
SA
Halim
Department of Pathology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Mohd Faris M
MF
Fadi
Department of Pathology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Premalatha
P
Santhiran
Department of Pathology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Nabila F
NF
Rosli
Department of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Norlaila
N
Mustafa
D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000097:blood*; D011236:Prediabetic State / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D015675:Osteocalcin
Adiposity; Central obesity; Diabetes; Metabolic syndrome; Osteocalcin