In this study, we report the isolation and characterization of osteocalcin in human urine using mass spectrometry and N-terminal sequencing. Multiple proteolytic forms of osteocalcin were found, which consisted of 16-27 residues from the middle region of the molecule. Several fragments had residue Gly7 at the N-terminus and the most predominant was fragment 7-31. Additional fragments starting from residue Asp14 were detected in the samples of children and young adults. Immunochemical detection of urine osteocalcin fragments had a statistically significant negative correlation to bone mineral density in evaluation of urine samples from 75-year-old women. Thus, the measurement of osteocalcin fragments in urine may have potential applications in diagnostics related to disorders of bone metabolism. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.