The Relationship between Serum Osteocalcin Concentration and Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus ­ The Role of Osteocalcin in Energy Metabolism.

BACKGROUND: Recent animal studies have found that the osteocalcin secreted by osteoblasts could participate in glucose and lipid metabolism. Our study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum osteocalcin concentration and glucose and lipid metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: 985 patients with type 2 diabetes were divided into the male group (n = 495) and the postmenopausal female group (n = 490). The average ages were 54.42 ± 10.535 and 64.93 ± 9.277, respectively. We collected the parameters of age, duration, fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, fasting insulin, fasting C peptide, blood lipid, 25 (OH) VD3, parathyroid hormone (PTH), Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide (P1NP), ß-C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ß-CTx), osteocalcin, HOMA-IR, HOMA-ß, body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). The relationship of osteocalcin and these parameters were analyzed by Pearson/Spearman correlation analysis and stepwise multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Osteocalcin was negatively correlated with HbA1c (p < 0.05) and it was also an independent relevant factor affecting HbA1c in both groups. Osteocalcin was positively correlated with HOMA-ß and it was an independent relevant factor affecting HOMA-ß in male group (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate the association between serum osteocalcin and glucose metabolism and beta cell function. No relationship was found between osteocalcin and insulin resistance and lipid metabolism in type 2 diabetes.