Title:Independent Relationship between Serum Osteocalcin and Uric Acid in a Cohort of Apparently Healthy Obese Subjects
VOLUME: 17 ISSUE: 3
Author(s):Giovanni De Pergola *, Vito A. Giagulli, Nicola Bartolomeo, Federica Gaeta, Antonella Petruzzella, Edoardo Guastamacchia, Vincenzo Triggiani and Franco Silvestris
Affiliation:Clinical Nutrition Unit, Medical Oncology, Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, School of Medicine, Policlinico, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Outpatient Clinic for Metabolic Diseases and Endocrinology, Conversano Hospital, ASL Bari, 70014 Conversano (Bari), Medical Statistics, Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari, School of Medicine, Policlinico, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 70124 Bari, Clinical Nutrition Unit, Medical Oncology, Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, School of Medicine, Policlinico, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Clinical Nutrition Unit, Medical Oncology, Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, School of Medicine, Policlinico, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Section of Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, Endocrinology and Rare Diseases, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, School of Medicine, Policlinico, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 70124 Bari, Section of Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, Endocrinology and Rare Diseases, Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine, University of Bari, School of Medicine, Policlinico, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 70124 Bari, Clinical Nutrition Unit, Medical Oncology, Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, School of Medicine, Policlinico, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari
Keywords:Osteocalcin, uric acid, obesity, Body Mass Index (BMI), blood pressure, bone metabolism.
Abstract:Background: It is generally accepted that serum osteocalcin (OC) is a reliable marker of
bone formation, while the role of serum uric acid (UA) in bone metabolism is still debated. However,
recent studies have shown that endogenous UA within the normal range may exert a positive
effect in bone formation by means of its antioxidant role in both sexes. To date, no studies have been
carried out in obese subjects aiming to study the relationship between serum OC and UA, given that
obesity is considered as a risk factor for osteoporosis and fracture and, at the same time, for cardiovascular
events.
Objectives: Our search purpose was to verify the relationship between endogenous levels of OC and
serum UA in a cohort of obese subjects without any metabolic or chronic diseases (i.e. hypertension,
renal failure, diabetes mellitus, etc.).
Materials and Methods: One hundred and twenty one obese subjects (93 women and 28 men) were
enrolled for this study. Serum OC and UA were assessed and compared with demographic characteristics,
clinical and biochemical parameters (age, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, waist circumference,
serum lipids and glycaemia).
Results: Serum OC was directly and independently correlated with circulating UA in our population
of obese subjects, while neither BMI, age, serum lipids, fasting glycaemia nor gender showed a
statistically significant correlation with endogenous plasma levels of OC.
Conclusion: The positive effect determined by serum OC in bone metabolism of our obese subjects
might be partly due to the antioxidant properties that normal plasma UA levels exert at bone tissue
level.
