Background There is evidence that fat mass is correlated with bone mineral density (BMD) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but data on the role of adipokines on this association are limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the serum levels of chemerin, visfatin, and vaspin, hormones that act as adipokines, in relation to BMD in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD).

Patients and methods Serum from 120 IBD patients (68 CD, 52 UC) and 98 matched healthy controls (HC) was collected. Chemerin, visfatin, and vaspin levels were assessed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. BMD was determined for the lumbar spine and the proximal femur using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Full-body composition scans were analyzed using enCORE software based on the absorptiometry system.

Results Serum chemerin was higher in IBD patients than HC [CD 13.67. 1±5.8, UC 13.9±4.3 vs. HC 7.8±2.6 ng/ml, odds ratio (OR): 0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.93–0.98, P< 0.0001]. Serum visfatin levels in CD patients were significantly higher than those in UC patients (9.3±14.01 vs. 6.5±7.2 ng/ml, OR: 0.86, 95% CI 0.80–0.92, P= 0.039). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, a significant independent association of osteoporosis (T-score≤ 2.5 SD) with age (OR: 1.04, 95% CI 1.01–1.08, P= 0.02), visfatin (OR: 0.78, 95% CI 0.63–0.97, P= 0.02), and chemerin levels (OR: 0.83, 95% CI 0.70–0.98, P= 0.03), but not with BMI or body composition, was found.

Conclusion Serum visfatin and chemerin levels are associated with the development of osteoporosis in IBD. These results suggest a role of visfatin and chemerin in the pathophysiology of osteoporosis in IBD.