title: Ergothioneine levels in an elderly population decrease with age and incidence of cognitive decline; a risk factor for neurodegeneration?
abstract: Ergothioneine (ET), a naturally occurring thione, can accumulate in the human body at high concentrations from diet. Following absorption via a specific transporter, OCTN1, ET may accumulate preferentially in tissues predisposed to higher levels of oxidative stress and inflammation. Given its potential cytoprotective effects, we examined how ET levels change with age. We found that whole blood ET levels in elderly individuals decline significantly beyond 60 years of age. Additionally, a subset of these subjects with mild cognitive impairment had significantly lower plasma ET levels compared with age-matched subjects. This decline suggests that deficiency in ET may be a risk factor, predisposing individuals to neurodegenerative diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456, Singapore.
authors.forename: Irwin K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Cheah
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119228, Singapore.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456, Singapore.
authors.forename: Richard M Y
authors.initials: RMY
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, National University Cancer Institute Singapore, National University Hospital, 5 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119074, Singapore.
authors.forename: Keith H C
authors.initials: KHC
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore 117456, Singapore. Electronic address: bchbh@nus.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Halliwell
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004880:Ergothioneine / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004880:Ergothioneine
keywords: Ageing; Antioxidant; Ergothioneine; Neurodegeneration; Risk factor