IGFBP-2 is a negative predictor of cold-induced brown fat and bone mineral density in young non-obese women

Recent studies have shown a positive correlation between brown adipose tissue (BAT) and bone mineral density (BMD). However, mechanisms underlying this relationship are unknown. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is an important regulator of stem cell differentiation promoting bone formation. IGF binding protein 2 (IGFBP-2) binds IGF-1 in the circulation and has been reported to inhibit bone formation in humans. IGF-1 is also a crucial regulator of brown adipocyte differentiation. We hypothesized that IGFBP-2 is a negative and IGF-1 a positive regulator of BAT-mediated osteoblastogenesis. We therefore investigated a cohort of 15 women (mean age 27.7 ± 5.7 years): 5 with anorexia nervosa (AN) in whom IGF-1 levels were low due to starvation, 5 recovered AN (AN-R), and 5 women of normal weight. All subjects underwent assessment of cold-activated BAT by PET/CT, BMD of the spine, hip, femoral neck, and total body by DXA, thigh muscle area by MRI, IGF-1 and IGFBP-2. There was a positive correlation between BAT and BMD and an inverse association between IGFBP-2 and both BAT and BMD. There was no association between IGF-1 and BAT. We show for the first time that IGFBP-2 is a negative predictor of cold-induced BAT and BMD in young non-obese women, suggesting that IGFBP-2 may serve as a regulator of BAT-mediated osteoblastogenesis.