Moussaoui Omar R, Deligiannis Ioannis, Petrov Petar-Preslav, Velikova Tsvetelina, Assyov Yavor
Faculty of Medicine, Sofia Medical University Sofia, Boulevard Akademik Ivan Evstratiev Geshov 15, 1431 Sofia, Bulgaria.
Department of Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology, Medical University of Plovdiv Vasil Aprilov 15A, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Int J Physiol Pathophysiol Pharmacol. 2025 Jun 15;17(3):80-93. doi: 10.62347/RNEQ8696. eCollection 2025.
Sarcopenia is an age-associated progressive deterioration of skeletal muscle, not only affecting the muscle function of elderly individuals but also contributing to various health issues and increased mortality. Current diagnostic tools are faced with limitations, hindering their widespread clinical application. This review examines the potential of myokines, peptides released from contracting muscles, as innovative biomarkers for sarcopenia. We explore the wide range of auto-, para-, and endocrine functions of myokines and the pathways of their physiological action, as well as address ongoing research results on the role of myokines as biomarkers for the timely diagnosis of sarcopenic individuals. Of all myokines, the ones that show the highest potential include irisin, myostatin, follistatin and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Their physiological action is exerted through complex pathways involving multiple molecules. Most studies show that these molecules can be used as biomarkers for the timely diagnosis of sarcopenia, whether by using each one individually or as a panel of biomarkers. However, several studies showed no correlation between the plasma levels of these peptides and a sarcopenia diagnosis. Finally, a number of studies also exhibited gender-affected relationships. While the quality of studies is promising, research on the use of myokines as biomarkers of sarcopenia is needed to more accurately determine the cut-off plasma values of such markers. By overcoming the shortcomings of existing methodologies, utilizing myokines in daily clinical practice could offer a promising path toward more effective prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies, ultimately improving outcomes for the aging population.
肌肉减少症是一种与年龄相关的骨骼肌进行性退化疾病，不仅影响老年人的肌肉功能，还会引发各种健康问题并增加死亡率。目前的诊断工具存在局限性，阻碍了它们在临床中的广泛应用。本综述探讨了肌动蛋白（从收缩肌肉中释放的肽）作为肌肉减少症创新生物标志物的潜力。我们研究了肌动蛋白广泛的自分泌、旁分泌和内分泌功能及其生理作用途径，还阐述了关于肌动蛋白作为生物标志物在及时诊断肌肉减少症个体方面的现有研究成果。在所有肌动蛋白中，潜力最大的包括鸢尾素、肌肉生长抑制素、卵泡抑素和脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）。它们的生理作用通过涉及多种分子的复杂途径发挥。大多数研究表明，这些分子无论是单独使用还是作为一组生物标志物，都可用于及时诊断肌肉减少症。然而，一些研究表明这些肽的血浆水平与肌肉减少症诊断之间没有相关性。最后，一些研究还显示出受性别影响的关系。虽然研究质量令人期待，但仍需要对将肌动蛋白用作肌肉减少症生物标志物进行研究，以更准确地确定此类标志物的血浆临界值。通过克服现有方法的缺点，在日常临床实践中利用肌动蛋白可能为更有效的预防、诊断和治疗策略提供一条有前景的途径，最终改善老年人群的预后。
