Relation of osteocalcin with insulin resistance and histopathological changes of non alcoholic fatty liver disease

Background. Osteocalcin is a hormone with a complex cross-talk between adipose tissue and the skeleton. The aim of the present study was to explore the relation of osteocalcin with histopathological changes of NALFD patients. Subjects. A population of 69 NAFLD patients was analyzed. A liver biopsy was realized. Weight, fat mass, body mass index, basal glucose, insulin, insulin resistance (HOMA), total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and osteocalcin levels were measured. Results. Patients were divided in two groups by median osteocalcin value (11.34 ng/mL), group I (patients with the low values) and group II (patients with the high values). Only liver fibrosis frequencies were different between groups (group I: 22.9% vs group II: 9.4%; p < 0.05). Patients in group I had higher levels of glucose (115.6 +/- 28.1 mg/dL vs. 103.7 +/- 24.3 mg/dL; p < 0.04), HOMA (4.6 +/- 3.1 units vs. 3.6 +/- 1.8 units; p < 0.04), weight (102.9 +/- 32.4 kg vs. 85.9 +/- 16.8 kg; p = 0.002) and body mass index (38.3 +/- 11.4 kg/m(2) vs. 30.1 +/- 5.7 kg/m(2); p = 0.001)) than patients in group II. Osteocalcin was inverse correlated with glucose (r = -0.4; p = 0.002) and HOMA (r = -0.3:p = 0.01). Conclusion. Osteocalcin is associated with liver fibrosis. However, this association disappeared in a multivariate analysis, and HOMA remained as an independent factor.