Available online www.jocpr.com Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research, 2015, 7(5):402-409 Research Article ISSN : 0975-7384 CODEN(USA) : JCPRC5 402 The association between serum Osteocalcin levels and atherosclerosis in Syrian patients with/without Diabetes Mellitus type 2 Zaina Adnan Makhoul 1 , Mohamad Ali Nahas 2 and Faizeh Ali Alquobaili 3 1 Biochemistry and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Damascus University, Almazzehstreet, Damascus, Syria 2 Department of Vascular Surgery, Al Assad University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Almazzehstreet, Damascus, Syria 3 Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Damascus University, Almazzehstreet, Damascus, Syria _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT Patients with diabetes type 2 have a higher risk of atherosclerosis disease. In addition to insulin resistance which results in growth and differentiation failure of osteoblasts, leading to failure in Osteocalcin secretion. This study is carried out to investigate the association of serum Osteocalcin with atherosclerosis in patients with type 2diabetes and in patients with atherosclerosis without diabetes. Serum Osteocalcin was measured by ELIZA method, Fasting blood glucose, LDL, total cholesterol, TG were measured by enzymatic colorimetric method in 65 subjects.(20 atherosclerotic but non diabetic patients;24 diabetic type 2 atherosclrrotic patients and 21 apparently healthy subjects(control group). The mean serum osteocalcin concentration for diabetic type 2 atherosclrrotic patients and atherosclerotic patients without diabetes was 13.483±3.325 ng/ml,20.516±3.481ng/ml, respectively. Osteocalcin levels were associated inversely with Fasting serum glucose, LDL, TG, Tcho (P<0.05). As a Conclusions, Low Serum Osteocalcin levels are significantly associated with atherosclerosis. Keywords: Osteocalcin, atherosclerosis, diabetes type 2, LDL(low density lipoprotein), TG(triglycerides). _____________________________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION Atherothrombotic cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, despite significant progress in the management of critical risk factors. A major reason for this trend is the ongoing epidemic of type 2 diabetes(1). The increased risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes type 2 reflected the emergence of atherosclerotic disease, which is considered an important indicator of coronary heart disease and stroke in older subject(2). Insulin activates substrate receptor insulin in osteoblasts, then the activation of cellular pathways which are essential for the growth of osteoblasts - differentiation and survival. It was found that when there was resistance to insulin, failure occurs in the growth and differentiation of osteoblasts ,and thus a failure in the secretion of the bone protein one of which is osteocalcin(3). Osteocalcin, also known (bone gla protein), one of the osteoblast-specific proteins, has several hormonal features and is secreted in the general circulation from osteoblastic cells. This protein is a specific biochemical marker of bone turnover and bone formation, involved in bone mineralization and calcium homeostasis (4,5).