| Products | Osteocalcin IRMA Test |
| Company | Diagnostic Systems Laboratories, Inc. |
| Item | Osteocalcin IRMA Test |
| Features | Inquire |
| Description | Osteocalcin, also known as bone Gla protein, is a vitamin K-dependent, calcium binding protein which is a major component of the noncollagenous bone matrix [1,2,3]. Osteocalcin is synthesized by osteoblasts in bone, with a small amount produced by odontoblasts in dentin, and hypertrophic chondrocytes [1]. During bone formation, newly synthesized osteocalcin is incorporated into the extracellular bone matrix and a small fraction is released into circulation. Because serum osteocalcin originates exclusively from bone, serum osteocalcin levels reflect bone formation activity [1]. Osteocalcin is also released into serum from the bone matrix during osteoblastic bone resorption. However, this circulates as non-immunoreactive fragments that are rapidly metabolized in the kidney and, to a lesser extent, in the liver [5]. Serum osteocalcin is elevated in disease states characterized by increased bone turnover such as renal osteodystrophy, osteoporosis, hyperparathyroidism and Pagets disease, and low in conditions associated with low bone turnover such as hypoparathyroidism and growth hormone deficiency [1]. Serum osteocalcin measurements are also useful in osteoporosis research, and have shown good correlation with bone histomorphometric measurements [6] and for studying the effects of treatments that modulate bone formation activity [7]. Serum osteocalcin measurements have also been useful in the research of toxic effects on bone [6,8].
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| Info | Diagnostic Systems Laboratories, Inc. Customer Service: (800) 231-7970 Web site: http://www.dslabs.com |