Summary Aging is a major risk factor for chronic disease in the human population, but there is little human data on gene expression alterations that accompany the process. We examined human peripheral blood leucocyte in-vivo RNA in a large-scale transcriptomic microarray study (subjects aged 30 to 104 years). We tested associations between probe expression intensity and advancing age (adjusting for confounding factors), initially in a discovery set (n = 458), following-up findings in a replication set (n=240). We confirmed expression of key results by real-time PCR. Of 16,571 expressed probes, only 295 (2%) were robustly associated with age. Just six probes were required for a highly efficient model for distinguishing between young and old (Area Under the Curve in replication set; 95%). The focussed nature of age-related gene expression may therefore provide potential biomarkers of aging. Similarly, only 7 of 1065 biological or metabolic pathways were age-associated, in Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), notably including the processing of messenger RNAs (mRNAs); (p<0.002, FDR q<0.05). This is supported by our observation of age-associated disruption to the balance of alternatively-expressed isoforms for selected genes, suggesting that modification of mRNA processing may be a feature of human aging.

Introduction Declining muscle strength is a core feature of aging. Several mechanisms have been postulated, including CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-beta (C/EBP-β) triggered macrophage-mediated muscle fibre regeneration after micro-injury, evidenced in a mouse model. We aimed to identify in-vivo circulating leukocyte gene expression changes associated with muscle strength in the human adult population. Methods We undertook a genome wide expression microarray screen, using peripheral blood RNA samples from InCHIANTI study participants (ages 30–104 yrs). Logged expression intensities were regressed with muscle strength using models adjusted for multiple confounders. Key results were validated by real-time PCR. The Short Physical Performance Battery score (SPPB) tested walk speed, chair stand and balance. Results CEBPB expression levels were associated with muscle strength (beta coefficient = 0.20560, p=1.03*10−6, false discovery rate q=0.014). The estimated handgrip strength in 70 year old men in the lowest CEBPB expression tertile was 35.2 kg compared to 41.2 kg in the top tertile. CEBPB expression was also associated with hip, knee, ankle and shoulder strength and the SPPB performance score (p=0.018). Near study-wide associations were also noted for TGFB3 (p=3.4*10−5, q=0.12) and CEBPD expression (p=9.67E−5, q=0.18) but not for CEBPA expression. Conclusions We report here a novel finding that raised CEBPB expression in circulating leukocyte derived RNA samples in-vivo is associated with greater muscle strength and better physical performance in humans. This association may be consistent with mouse model evidence of CEBPB triggered muscle repair: if this mechanism is confirmed it may provide a target for intervention to protect and enhance aging muscle.

Introduction: Circulating inflammatory markers may play an important role in cognitive impairment at older ages. Mice deficient for the chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 2 (CCR2) develop an accelerated Alzheimer-like pathology. CCR2 is also important in neurogenesis. To identify human gene transcripts most closely associated with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores, we undertook a genome-wide and inflammation specific transcriptome screen in circulating leukocytes from a population-based sample. Methods: We measured in vivo transcript levels by microarray analysis in 691 subjects (mean age 72.6 years) in the InCHIANTI study (Invecchiare in Chianti, aging in the Chianti area). We assessed expression associations with MMSE performance at RNA collection and prior 9-year change in MMSE score in linear regression models. Results: In genome-wide analysis, raised CCR2 expression was cross-sectionally the most strongly associated transcript with lower MMSE score (beta = -0.16, p = 5.1 · 10 -6 , false discovery rate (FDR; q = 0.077). Amongst inflammatory transcripts, only CCR2 expression was associated with both MMSE score and accelerated decline in score over the preceding 9 years (beta = -0.16, p = 5.1 · 10 -6 , q = 0.003; and beta = -0.13, p = 5.5 · 10 -5 , q = 0.03, respectively). CCR2 expression was also positively associated with apolipoprotein E (ApoE) e4 Alzheimer disease risk haplotype. Conclusions: We show for the first time that CCR2 expression is associated with lower MMSE scores in an older human population. Laboratory models of Ccr2-mediated b-amyloid removal and regulation of neurogenesis affecting cognitive function may be applicable in humans. CCR2-mediated pathways may provide a possible focus for intervention to potentiate protective reactions to Alzheimer pathology in older people, including for people with an adverse ApoE haplotype.