Periostin Plasma Levels and Changes on Physical and Cognitive Capacities in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract

Background Periostin, involved in extracellular matrix development and support, has been shown to be elevated in senescent tissues and fibrotic states, transversal signatures of aging. We aimed to explore associations between plasma periostin and physical and cognitive capacity evolution among older adults. Our hypothesis was that higher levels of plasma periostin will be associated with worse physical and mental capacities along time. Methods Analyses included 1,096 subjects (mean age=75.3 years ± 4.4; 63.9% women) from the Multidomain Alzheimer Preventive Trial (MAPT). Periostin levels (pg/mL) were measured in plasma collected at year 1. Periostin was used in continuous variable and as a dichotomous variable (highest quartile (POSTN+) vs. lowest three quartiles (POSTN-) were used. Outcomes were measured annually over 4 years and included: Gait Speed (GS), Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score, 5-Times sit-to-stand test (5-STS) and handgrip strength (HS) as physical and cognitive composite z-score (CCS) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) as cognitive endpoints. Results Plasma periostin as a continuous variable was associated with the worsening of physical and cognitive capacities over 4-years of follow up, specifically the SPPB score, the 5-STS, and CCS in full adjusted models. POSTN+ was associated with worse evolution in the physical (GS: β=-0.057, 95%CI=-0.101, -0.013], SPPB score [β=-0.736, 95%CI=-1.091, -0.381], 5-STS [β=1.681, 95%CI=0.801, 2.561]) as well as cognitive (CCS [β=-0.215, 95%CI=-0.335, -0.094]) domains compared to POSTN- group. No association was found with HS or the MMSE score. Conclusions Our study showed for the first time that increased plasma periostin levels were associated with declines in both physical and cognitive capacities in older adults over a 4-year follow-up. Further research is needed to evaluate whether periostin might be used as a predictive biomarker of functional decline at older age.

Aging impairs skeletal muscle regeneration by promoting fibro/fatty degeneration and inhibiting inflammation resolution via fibro-adipogenic progenitors

“…Additionally, we found that increased physical activity in elderly individuals restored hPOSTN-concentrations to levels found in young adults (Figure 7A). As previous studies had reported elevated levels of circulating Periostin due to certain pathologies 65 , we also assessed serum hPOSTN in a group of healthy older individuals compared to age-matched individuals living in an acute geriatric hospital setting. No differences were found, indicating that circulating hPOSTN is not applicable as a generalized marker of impaired health status (Figure 7B).…”

“…Thus, it stands to reason that loss of circulating Periostin may also inform on the progression of muscle degeneration as a result of age-related sarcopenia. It should be noted that increased levels of Periostin have also been proposed as a biomarker of disease progression in older adults, including cognitive decline 65 , suggesting that associations such as those found in our cohorts need to be evaluated in more detail. In conclusion, our study presents a novel role of FAP-based synchronization of the muscle stem cell niche, which links impaired regeneration to age-related niche deterioration and fatty degeneration of skeletal muscle.…”

The QPLEX™ Plus Assay Kit for the Early Clinical Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease

“…Therefore, the administration of ACE inhibitors in hypertensive patients diagnosed with AD has been correlated with increased handgrip strength (HGS), preservation of physical capacity, and the prevention of neuromuscular junction (NMJ) degradation [ 32 ]. In a recent study, researchers observed a noteworthy relationship between elevated plasma POSTN levels and the progressive decline in physical and cognitive capacities among older adults [ 33 ]. We have already produced a bioanalytical platform that can measure four biomarkers with tens of microliters of peripheral blood, the so-called Quantamatrix’s multiplexed diagnostics platform (QPLEX™; Quantamatrix Inc., Seoul, Republic of Korea) Alz plus assay kit.…”