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Sex- and age-related changes in bone and serum osteocalcin

  • Clinical Investigations
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Summary

We measured bone osteocalcin concentrations in EDTA extracts from iliac crest cortical bone specimens obtained postmortem from 63 men and 71 women (age range 19–90 years), and serum osteocalcin levels in healthy blood donors, 49 men and 49 women (age range 21–65 years). Bone and serum osteocalcin concentrations were higher in men than in women, and an age-related decline was observed in both sexes. In women, however, a temporary increase in serum (P<0.05) osteocalcin was seen in the sixth decade. This study shows sex- and age-related changes in bone osteocalcin consistent with changes in serum osteocalcin, confirming that serum measurement of osteocalcin reflects bone levels. As osteocalcin reflects osteoblastic activity and thus bone formation, the overall decline in bone and serum osteocalcin in men and women, and the increase in serum osteocalcin in the sixth decade in women, indicate that aging is associated with a decrease in bone formation and turnover and that osteoblastic activity and bone turnover are stimulated at the menopause.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arthritis and Metabolic Bone Disease Research Unit, K.U. Leuven, University Hospital Pellenberg, Pellenberg, Belgium

    Dirk Vanderschueren, Greet Gevers, Greet Raymaekers &  Jan Dequeker

  2. Department of Nuclear Medicine, K.U. Leuven, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium

    Paul Devos

Authors
  1. Dirk Vanderschueren
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  2. Greet Gevers
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  3. Greet Raymaekers
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  4. Paul Devos
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  5. Jan Dequeker
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Vanderschueren, D., Gevers, G., Raymaekers, G. et al. Sex- and age-related changes in bone and serum osteocalcin. Calcif Tissue Int 46, 179–182 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02555041

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02555041

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