TY - JOUR
T1 - Extreme MetaboHealth scores in three cohort studies associate with plasma protein markers for inflammation and cholesterol transport
AU - Bizzarri, Daniele
AU - van den Akker, Erik B
AU - Reinders, Marcel J T
AU - Pool, René
AU - Beekman, Marian
AU - Lakenberg, Nico
AU - Drouin, Nicolas
AU - Stecker, Kelly E
AU - Heck, Albert J R
AU - Knol, Edward F
AU - Vergeer, Jeannette M
AU - Ikram, M Arfan
AU - Ghanbari, Mohsen
AU - van Gool, Alain J
AU - Deelen, Joris
AU - Bbmri-Nl, null
AU - Boomsma, Dorret I
AU - Slagboom, P Eline
N1 - © 2025. The Author(s).
PY - 2025/9/9
Y1 - 2025/9/9
N2 - The MetaboHealth score is an indicator of physiological frailty in middle aged and older individuals. The aim of the current study was to explore which molecular pathways co-vary with the MetaboHealth score. Using a Luminex cytokine assay and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based proteomics we explored the plasma proteins associating with the difference in 100 extreme scoring individuals selected from two large population cohorts, the Leiden Longevity Study (LLS) and the Rotterdam Study (RS), and discordant monozygotic twin pairs from the Netherlands Twin Register (NTR). In addition, we estimated the heritability of the score using 726 monozygotic (MZ) and 450 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs. In the contrasting extreme scoring individuals from LLS and RS, we uncovered significant differences in 3 (out of 15) cytokines (GDF15, IL6, and MIG), and 106 (out of 289) plasma proteins. The high, poor health related, score associated with 42 increased inflammatory and immune related protein levels (CRP, LBP, HPT) and lowered levels of 71 HDL remodeling and cholesterol transport related proteins (e.g. APOA1, APOA2, APOA4, and TETN). Using the NTR twins, we subsequently showed that the MetaboHealth score is moderately heritable (h2 = 0.4). In MZ twins selected for maximal discordance within a pair we found 68 serum proteins associated with the MetaboHealth score indicating that only a minor part of the associations observed in LLS and RS is likely explained by genetic influences. Taken together, our study sheds light on the intricate interplay between the MetaboHealth score, plasma proteins, cytokines, and genetic influences, paving the way for future investigations aimed at optimizing this mortality risk indicator.
AB - The MetaboHealth score is an indicator of physiological frailty in middle aged and older individuals. The aim of the current study was to explore which molecular pathways co-vary with the MetaboHealth score. Using a Luminex cytokine assay and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based proteomics we explored the plasma proteins associating with the difference in 100 extreme scoring individuals selected from two large population cohorts, the Leiden Longevity Study (LLS) and the Rotterdam Study (RS), and discordant monozygotic twin pairs from the Netherlands Twin Register (NTR). In addition, we estimated the heritability of the score using 726 monozygotic (MZ) and 450 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs. In the contrasting extreme scoring individuals from LLS and RS, we uncovered significant differences in 3 (out of 15) cytokines (GDF15, IL6, and MIG), and 106 (out of 289) plasma proteins. The high, poor health related, score associated with 42 increased inflammatory and immune related protein levels (CRP, LBP, HPT) and lowered levels of 71 HDL remodeling and cholesterol transport related proteins (e.g. APOA1, APOA2, APOA4, and TETN). Using the NTR twins, we subsequently showed that the MetaboHealth score is moderately heritable (h2 = 0.4). In MZ twins selected for maximal discordance within a pair we found 68 serum proteins associated with the MetaboHealth score indicating that only a minor part of the associations observed in LLS and RS is likely explained by genetic influences. Taken together, our study sheds light on the intricate interplay between the MetaboHealth score, plasma proteins, cytokines, and genetic influences, paving the way for future investigations aimed at optimizing this mortality risk indicator.
U2 - 10.1186/s12979-025-00527-7
DO - 10.1186/s12979-025-00527-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 40926231
SN - 1742-4933
VL - 22
JO - Immunity and Ageing
JF - Immunity and Ageing
IS - 1
M1 - 34
ER -