Abstract
Aging is characterized by deleterious immune and metabolic changes, but the onset
of these changes is unknown. We measured immune and metabolic biomarkers in adults
beginning at age 30. To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate these biomarkers
in adults aged 30 to over 80. Biomarkers were quantified in 961 adults. Tumor necrosis
factor alpha (TNF-α), tumor necrosis factor receptor I (TNFR-I), tumor necrosis factor
receptor II (TNFR-II), interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, VCAM-I, D-Dimer, G-CSF, regulated
on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), matrix metalloproteinase-3
(MMP-3), adiponectin, and paraoxonase activity were measured by ELISA. Acylcarnitines
and amino acids (AAs) were measured by mass spectrometry and reduced to a single factor
using principal components analysis (PCA). Glycine was analyzed separately. The relationship
between age and biomarkers was analyzed by linear regression with sex, race, and body
mass index (BMI) as covariates. Age was positively correlated with TNF-α, TNFR-I,
TNFR-II, IL-6, IL-2, VCAM-1, D-Dimer, MMP-3, adiponectin, acylcarnitines, and AAs.
Age was negative correlated with G-CSF, RANTES, and paraoxonase activity. BMI was
significant for all biomarkers except IL-2, VCAM-1, RANTES, paraoxonase activity,
and the AA factor. Excluding MMP-3, greater BMI was associated with potentially adverse
changes in biomarker concentrations. Age-related changes in immune and metabolic biomarkers,
known to be associated with poor outcomes in older adults, begin as early as the thirties.
Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1093/gerona/gly121