title: Galectin-3, osteopontin and successful aging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Individuals who reach exceptional longevity (100+ years of age) free of common chronic age diseases (i.e. 'dodgers') arguably represent the paradigm of successful aging in humans. As such, identification of potential biomarkers associated with this phenomenon is of medical interest.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured serum levels of galectin-3 and osteopontin, both of which have been shown to be linked with major chronic or aging-related disorders in younger populations, in centenarian 'dodgers' (n=81; 40 men; 100-104 years) and healthy controls (n=41; 24 men, 70-80 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both biomarkers showed significantly lower values (p<0.001) in the former (galectin-3: 2.4±1.7 vs. 4.8±2.8 ng/mL; osteopontin: 38.1±27.7 vs. 72.6±33.1 μg/mL). Logistic regression analysis identified the combination of these two biomarkers as a significant predictor variable associated with successful aging regardless of sex (p<0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) classified the ability of galectin-3 and osteopontin to predict the likelihood of successful aging as 'fair' (AUC=0.75) and 'good' (AUC=0.80), respectively. Particularly, the combination of the two biomarkers showed good discriminatory power for successful aging (AUC=0.86), with sensitivity=83% and specificity=74%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lower levels of both galectin-3 and osteopontin are associated with successful aging, representing potential biomarkers of this condition. Our cross-sectional data must be however approached with caution. Further research is necessary to replicate the present preliminary results in other cohorts and to identify the potential use of galectin-3 and osteopontin as potential targets (or at least predictors) in future personalized anti-aging therapies.
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sanchis-Gomar
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santos-Lozano
authors.forename: Helios
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pareja-Galeano
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Garatachea
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alis
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fiuza-Luces
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morán
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Emanuele
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lucia
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001798:Blood Proteins; D037502:Galectin 3 / Q000097:blood*; D037161:Galectins; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D053495:Osteopontin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001798:Blood Proteins; D037502:Galectin 3; D037161:Galectins; C428445:LGALS3 protein, human; C506895:SPP1 protein, human; D053495:Osteopontin