ESPE Abstracts

Background: The recent evidence has shown that the skeleton can in turn affect carbohydrate metabolism.

Objective and hypotheses: To analyse associations between serum level of sclerostin and as well other bone-related molecules as adipokines and some markers of glucose and lipid metabolism in children and adolescents.

Method: 57 patients, 40 with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), 17 with obesity, and 11 control, healthy age- and BMI-matched children were included in the study. Fasting blood samples for measurement of bone derived sclerostin, osteocalcin (OC) and receptor activator of nuclear factor NF-κB ligand (RANKL), fat tissue-derived leptin and adiponectin, as well as vitamin D, lipid profile, glucose, HbA1c concentrations were taken at 0800 h. Hormones were measured by immunochemistry, vitamin D by HPLC and other parameters by routine chemistry methods. Statistical analysis was performed in all groups using ANOVA with post-hoc Turkey test and multiple regression analysis.

Results: Sclerostin levels did not differ among the examined groups. In multiple regression analysis sclerostin was positively related to OC and negatively related to HbA1c level (P<0.001, P=0.04 respectively). In the group of patients with T1DM the partial regression coefficient of sclerostin for OC was strong (r=0.62, P<0.001). Moreover in T1DM patients sclerostin was negatively related to as well HbA1c as leptin levels (P=0.036, P=0.038 respectively). In obese patients multiple regression analysis did not find any relationships between sclerostin and other parameters. In the control group sclerostin was positively related to C-peptide level (P=0.02).

Conclusion: The results of our study suggest that sclerostin could play an important role in the energy metabolism in children and adolescents. Its action seems to be associated with other bone-derived molecules as OC, but also fat-derived leptin. Moreover their relationships could be modified in different metabolic stages.

Funding: This study was supported by a grant nr K/ZDS/001812, from Medical College, Jagiellonian University in Cracow.