Description: This FlowCytomix Simplex Kit is designed for the measurement of human Osteocalcin in an immunoassay analyzed on a flow cytometer. Together with the FlowCytomix Human Basic Kit (cat. BMS8420FF), this kit can be used to detect Osteocalcin alone or can be multiplexed with other Simplex Kits to measure a variety of analytes.
This kit contains bead population B5.
Osteocalcin is a single chain protein found at high concentrations in bone where it is incorporated in the extracellular bone matrix. It has a molecular weight of 5.8 kDa after post-translational modification. Both fully carboxylated and undercarboxylated osteocalcin have been found in the circulation. Osteocalcin is synthesized in the bone exclusively by the osteoblasts, with a small amount produced by odontoblasts in dentin, and hypertrophic chondrocytes. Excess osteocalcin is released from the matrix and can be found in the circulation where it acts as a hormone. The roles of soluble osteocalcin are to induce insulin secretion from beta cells in the pancreatic islets, act on adipocytes to release adiponectin and cause insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake from the muscle. Serum osteocalcin is elevated in diseases that are characterized by increased bone turnover such as renal osteodystrophy and osteoporosis. In contrast, decreases serum osteocalcin levels are associated with low bone turnover caused by pathological conditions such as hypo-parathyroidism, growth hormone deficiency, long-term corticosteroid therapy as well as obesity and Type II diabetes. With age osteocalcin increases linearly in males, and exponentially in females.
