Vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, soluble Fas and hepatocyte growth factor as predictors of mortality in nonagenarians: The Vitality 90+ study

• Published in: Experimental gerontology Vol. 48; no. 11; pp. 1167 - 1172
• Main Authors: Kämppä, Niko, Mäkelä, Kari-Matti, Lyytikäinen, Leo-Pekka, Peltonen, Nina, Hautamäki, Jussi, Seppälä, Ilkka, Mononen, Nina, Goebeler, Sirkka, Karhunen, Pekka J, Hervonen, Antti, Hurme, Mikko, Jylhä, Marja, Lehtimäki, Terho
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Inc 01.11.2013
• Subjects: Aged, 80 and over; Aging - blood; Biomarkers - blood; Cardiovascular Diseases - blood; Cardiovascular Diseases - mortality; Cytokines - blood; fas Receptor - blood; Female; Finland - epidemiology; Hepatocyte growth factor; Hepatocyte Growth Factor - blood; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Mortality; Nonagenarians; Proportional Hazards Models; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Solubility; Soluble Fas; Vascular cell adhesion molecule 1; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 - blood; CRP; Vascular cell adhesion molecule 1; IL-1Ra; Hepatocyte growth factor; HGF; Mortality; sFas; VCAM-1; TNF-α; hs-CRP; Soluble Fas; BMI; Nonagenarians; C-reactive protein; body mass index; high-sensitivity C-reactive protein; interleukin 1 receptor antagonist; tumour necrosis factor-alpha
• ISSN: 0531-5565; 1873-6815; 1873-6815
• DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2013.07.009

Ageing is characteristically accompanied by changes in vascular endothelial markers and growth factor as well as increased cellular death. We analysed the associations of the plasma levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and soluble Fas (sFAS), and their combinations, with 4-year mortality to identify new biomarkers. A total of 238 individuals, both community-dwelling and institutionalised, aged 89‒91years and participating in the Vitality 90+ study were included. Biomarkers of endothelial function (VCAM-1), growth factor (HGF) and a marker of apoptosis (sFAS) were determined from plasma using Luminex® technology. This newly-determined data was combined with earlier data, e.g., 4-year mortality and medical history. Subjects who died during the follow-up had higher baseline plasma levels of VCAM-1, sFas, and HGF. When other known risk factors were adjusted for, subjects in the highest concentration tertile for VCAM-1 (HR 1.85; 95% CI, 1.12–3.05) and HGF (HR 2.22; 95% CI, 1.33–3.71) had higher mortality compared to those in the lowest tertile. In the adjusted analyses, when compared to subjects with none of the biomarkers in the highest concentration tertile, mortality was also higher when sFas and VCAM-1 were simultaneously (HR 2.03; 95% CI, 1.13–3.64) or all three were simultaneously (HR 3.63; 95% CI, 1.65–7.97) in the highest concentration tertile. Our results suggest that increased concentrations of these biomarkers, separately and in combination, associate with mortality among the aged and are prognostic markers of death. •Elevated levels of HGF and VCAM-1 associate with mortality among nonagenarians.•HGF and VCAM-1 seem to be independent prognostic markers of death in nonagenarians.•High levels of sFas seemed to amplify the association of VCAM-1 and mortality.•Simultaneously elevated levels of all three markers associate with higher mortality.