Aim. To investigate bone metabolic characteristics in Chinese adults with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods. A total of 224 patients (99 males and 125 postmenopausal females) were recruited and divided into 4 groups: males without NAFLD, males with NAFLD, females without NAFLD, and females with NAFLD. Bone mineral density (BMD) was evaluated according to body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and serum biomarkers. β cell function was evaluated by HOMA2%B, HOMA2%S, and HOMA2IR. Results. Males in the NAFLD group had lower BMD of the right hip and the femoral neck (0.852 ± 0.117 versus 0.930 ± 0.123, P = 0.002; 0.736 ± 0.119 versus 0.812 ± 0.132, P = 0.004), and females had lower BMD of the right hip (0.725 ± 0.141 versus 0.805 ± 0.145, P = 0.002) even after adjusted for weight, BMI, waist, HDL, and ALT. There was no significant difference in bone metabolic markers between patients with and without NAFLD. NAFLD was an important factor that affected the bone; moreover, the effect attenuated when HOMA2IR entered into the model (R 2 = 0.160, β = −0.172, and P = 0.008). Conclusions. NAFLD exerts a detrimental effect on BMD in both males and females. Insulin resistance may play an important role in this pathophysiological process.

BackgroundOsteocalcin has been reported to be relevant to glucose and lipid metabolism, indicating it may stimulate insulin secretion and improve insulin resistance. Yet the difference between male and female patients is still not clear.We aimed to investigate the difference in serum osteocalcin, and its association with glucose, lipid metabolism, pancreatic function, insulin sensitivity, and resistance in male and female middle-aged and elderly type 2 diabetic (T2DM) patients.Material/Methods739 T2DM patients were included. After measurement of body mass index (BMI), the levels of fasting plasma glucose (FPG), insulin (FINS), C peptide (FC-P), 2-h post-OGTT plasma glucose (2h-PG), HbA1C, and osteocalcin were determined. Homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-%B), homeostasis model assessment of insulin sensitivity (HOMA-%S), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were calculated.ResultsFemales had higher osteocalcin concentration than males (P<0.05). In males, serum osteocalcin was negatively correlated with HbA1C, FPG, and 2-h PG (P<0.05), but positively with 2-h post-OGTT C peptide (2hC-P), 2-h post-OGTT serum insulin (2h-INS), and HOMA-%B (P<0.05). In females, serum osteocalcin was negatively correlated with HbA1C, FPG, triglyceride (TG), and HOMA-IR (P<0.05), but positively with 2-h C-P, 2-h INS, HOMA-%B, HOMA-%S, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (P<0.05). In all subjects, serum osteocalcin was inversely correlated with HbA1C, FPG, and 2-h PG (P<0.05), but positively with 2-h C-P, 2-h INS, HDL, and HOMA-%B (P<0.05).ConclusionsOsteocalcin might improve glucose metabolism through enhancing insulin secretion in males, and through increasing insulin secretion and improving insulin resistance in females with T2DM. Osteocalcin probably also plays an important role in lipid metabolism.