Circulating Procollagen Type III N-Terminal Peptide and Physical Function in Adults from the Long Life Family Study
Year: 2020
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Circulating levels of procollagen type III N-terminal peptide (P3NP) may reflect increased fibrosis of skeletal muscle and other tissues with aging. Herein, we tested if P3NP was associated with baseline and 7-year change in physical function. METHOD: Participants (n = 400) were from the Long Life Family Study, a study of exceptional familial longevity. Plasma P3NP concentration was measured using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (inter-assay coefficient of variation <5.5%). At baseline and 7-year follow-up visits, physical function was measured using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB score 0-12), which consists of gait speed, balance, and chair-rise tests. Grip strength was measured using a handheld dynamometer. The association between log-transformed P3NP and physical function was examined using generalized estimating equations adjusted for familial relatedness, age, sex, height, weight, lifestyle characteristics, liver function, kidney function, lung function, and chronic disease prevalence. RESULTS: Participants were aged 73.1 ± 15.2 years (range: 39-104), 54% female, had body mass index of 26.6 ± 4.3 kg/m2, and gait speeds of 1.0 ± 0.3 m/s. One standard deviation higher log-transformed P3NP was related to worse baseline SPPB score (β = -0.9points), gait speed (β = -0.05m/s), chair-rises per-second (β = -0.46chair-rises/10 seconds), and grip strength (β = -2.0kg; all p < .001). Higher P3NP was also associated with greater declines in gait speed (β = -1.41, p < .001) and transitioning to being unable to perform chair-rises (β = 0.41, p < .001) after 7 years. CONCLUSION: Plasma P3NP may be a strong, novel biomarker of current and future physical function. Future research is needed to extend our findings to other cohorts and determine mechanisms underlying these associations.
Language: English
Subfield: Physiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Awards: Long Life Family Study: Boston Field Center, G2356271335, Long Life Family Study: Duke Univ./Univ. of Southern Denmark Field Center, Training in Molecular Epidemiology: Linking Genes to Physical Function in Older Adults, Long Life Family Study: University of Pittsburgh Field Center, Long Life Family Study: Data Management and Coordinating Center, G6790571162, G7259431519, G8873318624, The Long Life Family Study, Cardiovascular Epidemiology Training Program, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Long Life Family Study: Columbia University
OpenAlex ID: W3049769266