title: Serum concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-1, members of the TGF-beta superfamily and follistatin do not reflect different stages of dynapenia and sarcopenia in elderly women.
abstract: There is a high need for blood-based biomarkers detecting age-related changes in muscular performance at an early stage. Therefore, we investigated whether serum levels of growth and differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), activin A, myostatin, follistatin, and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) would reflect age- and physical performance-related differences between young (22-28 years) and elderly (65-92 years) females. Isokinetic peak torque of knee extension (PTE) was measured in young females to obtain reference values for the discrimination of different stages of age-associated muscle weakness. Additionally, elderly women were screened for sarcopenia using the algorithm of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (low muscle mass in addition to low PTE and/or low walking speed). IGF-1 levels were higher and GDF-15 levels were lower in young females in comparison to the elderly (p < 0.01), whereas members of the activin A/myostatin/follistatin axis showed similar levels across age groups. In older women, IGF-1 correlated negatively with age (ρ = -0.359, p < 0.01) and positively with muscle mass (ρ = 0.365, p < 0.01). In contrast, GDF-15 correlated positively with age (ρ = 0.388, p < 0.001) and negatively with muscle mass (ρ = -0.320, p < 0.01). However, none of the serum markers differed between women classified as non-, mildly and severely dynapenic/sarcopenic. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that a combination of all blood-based biomarkers obtained in addition to age and fat mass moderately predicted muscle mass (+2.9%). Neither a single nor a combined set of tested biomarkers reflected the presence of dynapenia or sarcopenia in elderly women. However, due to the associations of IGF-1 and GDF-15 with correlates of muscle mass and function, these parameters remain promising candidates in a potential set of blood-based biomarkers to diagnose sarcopenia and/or dynapenia.
authors: Centre for Sport Science and University Sports, University of Vienna, Auf der Schmelz 6, 1150 Vienna, Austria; Research Platform Active Ageing, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors: Marlene
authors: M
authors: Hofmann
authors: Research Platform Active Ageing, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Halper
authors: Research Platform Active Ageing, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Oesen
authors: Research Platform Active Ageing, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors: Bernhard
authors: B
authors: Franzke
authors: Centre for Sport Science and University Sports, University of Vienna, Auf der Schmelz 6, 1150 Vienna, Austria.
authors: Petra
authors: P
authors: Stuparits
authors: Centre for Sport Science and University Sports, University of Vienna, Auf der Schmelz 6, 1150 Vienna, Austria.
authors: Harald
authors: H
authors: Tschan
authors: Centre for Sport Science and University Sports, University of Vienna, Auf der Schmelz 6, 1150 Vienna, Austria.
authors: Norbert
authors: N
authors: Bachl
authors: Karl Landsteiner Institute for Remobilization and Functional Health, Institute for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Social Medical Center South, Kundratstrasse 3, 1100 Vienna, Austria.
authors: Eva-Maria
authors: EM
authors: Strasser
authors: Karl Landsteiner Institute for Remobilization and Functional Health, Institute for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Social Medical Center South, Kundratstrasse 3, 1100 Vienna, Austria.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Quittan
authors: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Social Medical Center East, Langobardenstrasse 122, 1220 Vienna, Austria.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Ploder
authors: Research Platform Active Ageing, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Nutritional Science, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors: Karl-Heinz
authors: KH
authors: Wagner
authors: Centre for Sport Science and University Sports, University of Vienna, Auf der Schmelz 6, 1150 Vienna, Austria; Research Platform Active Ageing, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria. Electronic address: barbara.wessner@univie.ac.at.
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Wessner
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001317:Austria; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001823:Body Composition; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D038681:Follistatin / Q000097:blood*; D055436:Growth Differentiation Factor 15 / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis*; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055435:Myostatin / Q000097:blood; D010808:Physical Examination; D012044:Regression Analysis; D055948:Sarcopenia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055411:TGF-beta Superfamily Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D038681:Follistatin; C526140:GDF15 protein, human; D055436:Growth Differentiation Factor 15; C525911:MSTN protein, human; D055435:Myostatin; D055411:TGF-beta Superfamily Proteins; C422405:activin A; D028341:Activins; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I
keywords: Dynapenia; Serum biomarkers; Skeletal muscle atrophy; TGF-beta superfamily; Vienna Active Ageing Study (VAAS)