The relationship between plasma interleukin-15 levels and sarcopenia in outpatient older people

• Published in: Aging clinical and experimental research Vol. 30; no. 7; pp. 783 - 790
• Main Authors: Yalcin, Ahmet, Silay, Kamile, Balik, Ahmet Rifat, Avcioğlu, Gamze, Aydin, Almila Senat
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.07.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Body Mass Index; C-Reactive Protein - metabolism; Case-Control Studies; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cytokines; Exercise - physiology; Female; Geriatric Assessment; Geriatrics/Gerontology; Humans; Interleukin-15 - blood; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Multivariate Analysis; Muscle Strength - physiology; Muscle, Skeletal - physiology; Older people; Original Article; Outpatients; Regression analysis; Sarcopenia; Sarcopenia - blood; Sarcopenia - physiopathology; Sarcopenia; Interleukin-15; Elderly; Interleukin-6
• ISSN: 1720-8319; 1594-0667; 1720-8319
• DOI: 10.1007/s40520-017-0848-y

Background and aim Sarcopenia is a geriatric syndrome in which there is a decrease in muscle mass, muscle strength, and muscle function. Interleukin-15 (IL-15), a myokine released by skeletal muscle, has effects on both muscle and adipose tissue. We evaluated the relationship between plasma IL-15 level and sarcopenia. Methods We evaluated a total of 160 outpatient older people, and 80 of whom had sarcopenia. Sarcopenia was defined according to the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People criteria. Plasma IL-15 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Activities of daily living, nutritional and exercise status, co-morbidities, body mass index, waist circumference, sensitive C-reactive protein, IL-6, and vitamin D levels were also evaluated. Results IL-15 levels were significantly higher in control subjects [5.1 (2.75–18.69)] compared to sarcopenic participants [3.91 (2.07–15.56)] ( p  < 0.001). Plasma IL-15 levels were independently and inversely associated with sarcopenia in multivariate regression analysis [OR: 0.74 (CI 95% 0.6–0.91) p  = 0.005]. Age [OR: 1.13 (CI 95% 1.01–1.27) p  = 0.03] and BMI [OR: 0.68 (CI 95% 0.51–0.92)] were also associated with sarcopenia in multivariate regression analysis. Conclusions and discussion A low level of plasma IL-15 is associated with sarcopenia in outpatient older people. Further longitudinal and prospective studies are needed to evaluate changes in IL-15 over time together with muscle mass and strength or therapeutic potential of IL-15.