Marzetti Emanuele, Calvani Riccardo, Lorenzi Maria, Marini Federico, D'Angelo Emanuela, Martone Anna Maria, Celi Michela, Tosato Matteo, Bernabei Roberto, Landi Francesco
Department of Geriatrics, Neurosciences and Orthopedics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
Department of Geriatrics, Neurosciences and Orthopedics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
Exp Gerontol. 2014 Dec;60:79-82. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2014.10.003. Epub 2014 Oct 7.
Serum concentrations of the C-terminal fragment of agrin (CAF), a component of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), are elevated in older community-dwellers with sarcopenia. Whether CAF may be used as a marker for muscle wasting in the presence of NMJ mechanical damage is presently unknown. The present study was undertaken to verify if serum CAF levels were associated with sarcopenia in older hip fractured patients.
Analyses were conducted in older adults hospitalized for traumatic hip fracture. The presence of sarcopenia was established according to the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People criteria, with bioelectrical impedance analysis used for muscle mass estimation. Serum levels of CAF were determined using a commercial ELISA kit.
Among 42 hip fractured patients (age 83.7±8.6 years, 76.2% women), sarcopenia was diagnosed in 7 individuals (16.7%). Serum CAF levels were significantly higher in sarcopenic relative to non-sarcopenic patients (172.2±47.5 pM vs. 93.1±44.0 pM; p<0.001). The association remained significant in both genders after adjustment for several potential confounders.
Elevated serum CAF concentrations are associated with sarcopenia in older adults with hip fracture. The determination of serum CAF levels could therefore serve to identify a subset of hip fractured patients at especially high risk for adverse health outcomes.
在患有肌肉减少症的老年社区居民中，神经肌肉接头（NMJ）的一种成分——聚集蛋白C端片段（CAF）的血清浓度会升高。目前尚不清楚在存在NMJ机械损伤的情况下，CAF是否可作为肌肉萎缩的标志物。本研究旨在验证血清CAF水平是否与老年髋部骨折患者的肌肉减少症相关。
对因创伤性髋部骨折住院的老年人进行分析。根据欧洲老年人肌肉减少症工作组的标准确定是否存在肌肉减少症，使用生物电阻抗分析来估计肌肉质量。使用商用ELISA试剂盒测定血清CAF水平。
在42例髋部骨折患者（年龄83.7±8.6岁，76.2%为女性）中，7例（16.7%）被诊断为肌肉减少症。与非肌肉减少症患者相比，肌肉减少症患者的血清CAF水平显著更高（172.2±47.5 pM对93.1±44.0 pM；p<0.001）。在调整了几个潜在混杂因素后，该关联在两性中均仍然显著。
血清CAF浓度升高与老年髋部骨折患者的肌肉减少症相关。因此，测定血清CAF水平可用于识别一部分髋部骨折患者，这些患者出现不良健康结局的风险特别高。
