Gil Tae-Hwan, Kim Ji Yeon, Shin Ji-Won, Jang Dong-Hyun, Park Seung Shin, Kim Sang Wan, Shin Chan Soo, Jeon Ok Hee, Kong Sung Hye
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
J Nutr Health Aging. 2025 Aug;29(8):100607. doi: 10.1016/j.jnha.2025.100607. Epub 2025 Jun 16.
Reliable biomarkers for diagnosing and monitoring sarcopenia remain limited, especially those reflecting longitudinal changes in muscle health. This study aimed to evaluate associations between plasma biomarkers and both cross-sectional and 2-year longitudinal changes in muscle mass, strength, and physical performance in older adults.
We analyzed plasma biomarkers in 93 participants (mean age: 74.3 years; 88% female) from a hospital-based longitudinal cohort. Biomarkers were quantified using ELISA, and multivariable regression analyses were conducted for sarcopenia components such as muscle mass, function, and performance, adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI).
Leptin levels were negatively associated with both baseline and 2-year changes in appendicular lean mass indexed by ALM/height and ALM/BMI after adjustments. DHEAS positively correlated with the baseline ALM/BMI, and IL-6 negatively correlated with a change in ALM/BMI. Regarding muscle function, higher baseline grip strength was associated with myostatin, DHEAS, and negatively with leptin and GDF-15. For physical performance, DHEAS and IGF-1 were positively associated with SPPB scores at the baseline, while IL-6 and GDF-15 were negatively associated with these. Notably, IL-6 was also positively associated with 2-year SPPB change.
These findings highlight the potential of specific plasma biomarkers to identify individuals at risk of sarcopenia-related functional decline and to serve as practical tools for monitoring sarcopenia progression in older adults.
用于诊断和监测肌肉减少症的可靠生物标志物仍然有限，尤其是那些反映肌肉健康纵向变化的标志物。本研究旨在评估血浆生物标志物与老年人肌肉质量、力量和身体机能的横断面及两年纵向变化之间的关联。
我们分析了来自一个基于医院的纵向队列的93名参与者（平均年龄：74.3岁；88%为女性）的血浆生物标志物。使用酶联免疫吸附测定法对生物标志物进行定量，并对肌肉减少症的组成部分，如肌肉质量、功能和机能进行多变量回归分析，同时对年龄、性别和体重指数（BMI）进行校正。
在校正后，瘦素水平与以ALM/身高和ALM/BMI指数化的四肢瘦体重的基线及两年变化均呈负相关。硫酸脱氢表雄酮（DHEAS）与基线ALM/BMI呈正相关，而白细胞介素-6（IL-6）与ALM/BMI的变化呈负相关。关于肌肉功能，较高的基线握力与肌肉生长抑制素、DHEAS相关，与瘦素和生长分化因子-15（GDF-15）呈负相关。对于身体机能，DHEAS和胰岛素样生长因子-1（IGF-1）与基线时的简易体能状况量表（SPPB）评分呈正相关，而IL-6和GDF-15与这些评分呈负相关。值得注意的是，IL-6也与两年的SPPB变化呈正相关。
这些发现凸显了特定血浆生物标志物在识别有肌肉减少症相关功能衰退风险个体以及作为监测老年人肌肉减少症进展实用工具方面的潜力。
