OSTEOCALCIN AND SCLEROSTIN AS IMMUNOLOGICAL MARKERS OF REPARATIVE OSTEOGENESIS



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Abstract

Reparative osteogenesis in bone tissue defects is a complex and multiphase process regulated by the close interaction between the bone and immune systems. Within the concept of osteoimmunology, particular attention is paid to molecular markers reflecting the dynamics of bone metabolism and the immune microenvironment. Osteocalcin and sclerostin are considered key indicators of bone homeostasis, but their immunological role in bone regeneration requires systematization and in-depth analysis.

The aim of this study was to summarize current understanding of the phase-specific role of osteocalcin and sclerostin in reparative osteogenesis from an osteoimmunological perspective, as well as to examine the influence of mesenchymal stem cells on the functional activity of these proteins.

To achieve this goal, a literature review was conducted of scientific papers devoted to the cellular and immunological mechanisms of bone regeneration, the influence of osteocalcin and sclerostin on different phases of reparative osteogenesis, and the direct and indirect effects of mesenchymal stem cells on osteocalcin and sclerostin activity. The analysis included experimental and clinical studies from recent years.

The results of this review demonstrate that osteocalcin is not only a marker of bone turnover but also an active immunoregulator involved in the phenotypic switching of macrophages, limiting the inflammatory response, and regulating osteoclastogenesis. Sclerostin acts as a phase-specific inhibitor of osteogenesis, temporarily limiting osteoblastic activity and promoting bone remodeling. Mesenchymal stem cells both indirectly regulate the balance of osteocalcin and sclerostin and directly influence the functional activity of these proteins by creating a favorable immune and signaling microenvironment, which may serve as a prognostic criterion for the effectiveness of bone grafting interventions. Further research should be aimed at establishing reference intervals for osteocalcin and sclerostin levels during various phases of osteogenesis and assessing the effectiveness of their pharmacological modulation in experimental models and clinical practice.

About the authors

Nikita Sergeevich Chumakov

Independent researcher, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation

Email: chumakov-nikita@mail.ru
SPIN-code: 1898-7146

dentist, independent researcher

Russian Federation

Narine Grishaevna Sarkisyan

Institute of Immunology and Physiology, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russian Federation;
Ural state medical university, Yekaterinburg, Russian Federation

Email: narine_25@mail.ru
SPIN-code: 2694-8242

Doctor of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Therapeutic Dentistry and Propaedeutics of Dental Diseases

Russian Federation, 620078, Russia, Yekaterinburg, Pervomayskaya st., 106; 620028, Russia, Yekaterinburg, Repina St., 3

Natalia Nikolaevna Kataeva

Ural state medical university, Yekaterinburg, Russian Federation

Author for correspondence.
Email: kataeva.nn@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2847-8810
SPIN-code: 5105-9731

PhD, associate professor, assistant professor of General Chemistry department

Russian Federation, 620028, Russia, Yekaterinburg, Repina St., 3

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