Bone mineral density, osteocalcin, and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of osteopenia and the relationships between osteocalcin (OC), bone alkaline phosphatase (bALP), and bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). A group of 18 patients (median age 47, range 36-51) with uncomplicated IDDM (Group A) were matched by sex, age, and body mass index with 21 healthy control volunteers (Group B). All subjects underwent osteodensitometry with measurement of BMD at the lumbar spine and femoral neck. Osteopenia was present in 11 (61.1%) and 2 (9.5%) of Group A and B patients (P= 0.01), respectively. Both OC (28.4 +/- 16.4 versus 41.2 +/- 14.6 ng/mL; P= 0.005) and bALP (51.3 +/- 11.8 versus 61.7 +/- 10.6 U/L; P= 0.006) serum levels were significantly lower in patients with IDDM. BMD did not correlate with either OC or bALP. In conclusion, osteopenia is common among patients with IDDM, but the relationship between bone formation markers and BMD is still unclear.