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Biochemical markers of bone turnover in diabetes patients—a meta-analysis, and a methodological study on the effects of glucose on bone markers

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Abstract

Summary

This study examined whether markers of bone turnover differ between individuals with and without diabetes. Bone markers showed heterogeneity between studies and were discrepant for markers of bone creation and markers of bone degradation. Bone markers may be of lesser value in diabetes due to heterogeneity.

Introduction

The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare existing literature regarding changes in bone markers among diabetics compared to healthy controls. To exclude that blood glucose levels among diabetes patients could influence the assays used for determining bone turnover markers, a methodological study was performed.

Methods

Medline at Pubmed Embase, Cinahl, Svemed+, Cochrane library, and Bibliotek.dk was searched in August 2012. The studies should examine biochemical bone turnover among diabetes patients in comparison to controls in an observational design. In the methodological study, fasting blood samples were drawn from two individuals. Glucose was added to the blood samples in different concentrations and OC, CTX, and procollagen type 1 amino terminal propeptide were measured after 0, 1, 2, and 3 h.

Results

Twenty-two papers fulfilled the criteria for the meta-analysis. From the pooled data in the meta-analysis, the bone markers osteocalcin (OC) (−1.15 ng/ml [−1.78,-0.52]) and C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide (CTX) (−0.14 ng/ml [−0.22, −0.05]) were significantly lower among diabetes patients than non-diabetes patients, however other markers did not differ. All markers displayed very high heterogeneity by I2 statistics. In the methodological study, the addition of glucose did not significantly change the bone markers neither by level of glucose nor with increasing incubation time.

Conclusion

The dissociative pattern of biochemical bone markers of bone formation and bone resorption present in diabetes patients is thus not caused by glucose per se but may be modulated by unknown factors associated with diabetes mellitus.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the assistance of research librarian Ms. Edith Clausen, Department of Endocrinology and Internal Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital.

Funding

The authors have received no funding for this study.

Conflicts of interest

None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Institute, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers vej 7, 9220, Aalborg, Denmark

    J. Starup-Linde, S. A. Eriksen & P. Vestergaard

  2. Department of Endocrinology and Internal Medicine (MEA), Aarhus University Hospital THG, Tage Hansens Gade 2, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark

    J. Starup-Linde

  3. Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Aalborg University Hospital, Hobrovej 18-22, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark

    S. Lykkeboe & A. Handberg

  4. Department of Endocrinology, Aalborg University Hospital, Molleparkvej 4, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark

    P. Vestergaard

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  1. J. Starup-Linde
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Correspondence to J. Starup-Linde.

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Starup-Linde, J., Eriksen, S.A., Lykkeboe, S. et al. Biochemical markers of bone turnover in diabetes patients—a meta-analysis, and a methodological study on the effects of glucose on bone markers. Osteoporos Int 25, 1697–1708 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-014-2676-7

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