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Statistical analysis of age- and sex-related changes of serum osteocalcin

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Abstract

We assayed serum osteocalcin levels in 1366 out-patients by radioimmunoassay and evaluated age- and sex-related changes using the statistical methods. Serum osteocalcin levels of the male and female subjects were recorded in subjects aged 0–20 years at 4-year increments and in subjects older than 20 years at 10-year increments, and submitted to the Hoffmann standardization method. The results were analyzed statistically.

In adults, Scheffe method showed that the serum osteocalcin levels were significantly lower (p<0.01) in women 40–49 years of age and higher (p<0.05) in women 70–79 years of age than in men of the corresponding age groups. Cross-sectional analysis revealed that the serum osteocalcin levels in women increased significantly (p<0.01) in 50–59 years group compared to 40–49 years group coincidentaly to menopause. The Hoffmann method and supplementation by the spline function showed that the peak osteocalcin levels occurred in boys aged 13.2 years (30.5 ng/ml) and in girls aged 9.40 years (33.4 ng/ml). These results suggest that serum osteocalcin is a good marker of bone matabolism reflecting growth in children and menopause in women. Our results were obtained from serum osteocalcin levels in a large population which were strictly analyzed statistically. Therefore, the data in this study, e.g. the normal range or the mean value of serum osteocalcin in any given age and sex, should give us the useful tool for the clinical application of serum osteocalcin as a marker protein of bone metabolism.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kyoto University, 54 Kawahara-cho, Syogoin, Sakyo-ku, 606, Kyoto, Japan

    Ryuichi Kasai, Takao Yamamuro & Hideo Okumura

  2. Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, 606, Kyoto, Japan

    Hiroshi Iguchi

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  1. Ryuichi Kasai
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  2. Takao Yamamuro
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  3. Hideo Okumura
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Kasai, R., Yamamuro, T., Okumura, H. et al. Statistical analysis of age- and sex-related changes of serum osteocalcin. J Bone Miner Metab 11, 7–16 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02383528

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