Research Article Details

Article ID: A09310
PMID: 31795988
Source: BMC Public Health
Title: First-degree family history of diabetes and its relationship with serum osteocalcin levels independent of liver fat content in a non-diabetic Chinese cohort.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: First-degree relatives of patients with diabetes (FDR) tend to have impaired insulin activity, which lead to the alternation of circulating cytokine levels. Liver is a main target tissue of insulin action; therefore, liver fat content (LFC) has a close relationship with insulin resistance. This study aimed to find the alteration in serum osteocalcin levels in FDR and the relationship of serum osteocalcin levels with FDR and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: In total, 1206 subjects including 413 men and 793 women from the communities, aged 59.7 (range, 54.8-64.3) years, were enrolled. An electrochemiluminescence immunoassay was performed to measure the levels of serum osteocalcin. LFC was measured using quantitative ultrasonography. RESULTS: A significant decrease was found in serum osteocalcin levels in subjects with NAFLD (P&#8201;<&#8201;0.001) as well as in FDR (19.8&#8201;&#177;&#8201;5.7&#8201;ng/mL versus 20.7&#8201;&#177;&#8201;6.8&#8201;ng/mL, P&#8201;=&#8201;0.028). Furthermore, among the subjects with NAFLD, those with FDR had lower levels of osteocalcin than those without FDR (P&#8201;=&#8201;0.011). The presence of FDR remained a predictor for decreased serum osteocalcin levels after adjusting for body mass index, blood glucose, blood lipids, and LFC (standardized &#946;&#8201;=&#8201;-&#8201;0.057, P&#8201;=&#8201;0.028). CONCLUSIONS: FDR had lower serum osteocalcin levels than non-FDR. The inverse association between FDR and serum osteocalcin levels was independent of metabolic factors.
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-7932-5