Osteocalcin and selected biochemical parameters of bone turnover in healthy subjects

Osteocalcin (OC) is non-collagenous bone matrix protein produced by osteoblasts. OC binds to hydroxyapatite and is deposited in the bone matrix. Concentration of OC in the blood seems to reflect both osteogenesis and increased bone metabolism and depends on age, sex, menopausal status. The aim of our study was to evaluate changes in the concentration of osteocalcin and selected biochemical parameters of bone turnover in different stages of life in healthy people. We found that the mean serum levels of OC were significantly greater in women than in men. The highest OC levels were found in men under the age of 30 with a decrease in the fourth decade of life. In the group of women of up to 40 years of age, OC concentrations were comparable with the equivalent group of men. The lowest concentration of OC was found in the age group 40-49, with the significant increase in the subsequent decades of life. In both men and women, we found a significant correlation of OC with the calcium concentrations and alkaline phosphatase activity. Osteocalcin determinationa, particulary in women, may be useful laboratory parameters of osteoporosis process.