Longitudinal changes in bone-testis axis and their associations with insulin resistance in 11- to 12-year-old boys

Associations between osteocalcin (OCN), an osteoblast-specific hormone, and different markers of energy metabolism and insulin resistance have been reported in adults, but few studies have investigated this in children. The aim of the current study was to investigate serum OCN levels during pubertal development in normal weight (NW) and overweight (OW) boys, and to evaluate possible associations of OCN with body composition, testosterone, insulin resistance and adipocytokine values during puberty.

Ninety 11- to 12-year-old boys were investigated at 12-month intervals over the next 2years. Boys were divided by their BMI into NW (n=60) and OW (n=30) groups. Serum OCN, testosterone, leptin, adiponectin, insulin, HOMA-IR score, and body composition were measured.

Pubertal development over the 2-year period was similar in both groups. Serum OCN was not different at the beginning of the study and increased similarly in both groups. However, at the end of the study, NW had higher OCN than OW (142.9±5.2 vs. 124.0±7.4ng/ml; p<0.05). OW had higher leptin, insulin and HOMA-IR compared to NW, and these differences remained significant through the 2-year period. Testosterone, insulin and HOMA-IR increased through the study period in both groups. In multiple regression analyses increment in OCN was associated with the increase in testosterone in NW (p<0.001) and OW (p=0.049) boys. Increment in OCN was also associated with the increase in insulin (p=0.019) and HOMA-IR (p=0.012) over the 2-year period in NW boys.

Serum OCN concentration increases in puberty and the increment is positively associated with the rise in testosterone level in both NW and OW boys. The positive association between the rise in OCN and insulin in NW boys would suggest that OCN may have a role in the development of insulin resistance.