The Association of Intestinal Leak with Sarcopenia and Physical Disability in Patients with Various Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease.

Sarcopenia is related to disease severity in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients; however, its pathophysiology remains poorly known. We investigated the associations of biomarkers of intestinal leak with sarcopenia in various stages of CKD. We recruited 61-76-year-old male controls and patients with various stages of CKD (n = 36-57/group) for measuring plasma lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) and zonulin (markers of intestinal leak), handgrip strength (HGS), skeletal mass index (SMI), and gait speed (markers of sarcopenia), and short physical performance battery (SPPB; marker of physical capacity). CKD stages 4 and 5 were associated with lower HGS, SMI, gait speed, and cumulative SPPB scores and a higher sarcopenia prevalence than controls and patients with CKD stages 1 and 2 (all p < 0.05). CKD patients (stages 1 and 2) had elevated plasma zonulin and LBP when compared with CKD stages 4 and 5. Plasma zonulin and LBP exhibited significant correlations with renal function, HGS, gait speed, SPPB scores, and oxidative stress markers in CKD stages 4 and 5 (all p < 0.05). However, similar relations were not found in early CKD. Collectively, intestinal leak may be contributing to sarcopenia and physical disability in the advanced stages of CKD.

Plasma levels of Neurofilament light chain correlate with handgrip strength and sarcopenia in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND: Age-associated muscle decline, termed sarcopenia, is a common systemic effect of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Circulating Neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels reflect neuronal degradation and may be relevant to sarcopenia phenotype. However, such an association in COPD patients remains elusive. METHODS: We investigated male, 60-76 years old controls (n = 50) and COPD patients (n = 139) for plasma NfL levels in relation to sarcopenia and physical capacity markers. We measured handgrip strength (HGS), body composition, and short physical performance battery (SPPB) to evaluate sarcopenia and physical capacity. RESULTS: COPD patients had higher plasma NfL and lower HGS and SPPB performance than controls. Plasma NfL levels demonstrated negative associations with HGS and gait speed in COPD patients (all p < 0.05). Further, NfL levels were negatively associated with total SPPB scores in controls and patients with advanced COPD (p < 0.05). Plasma NfL also demonstrated an acceptable accuracy in diagnosing sarcopenia in controls (AUC = 0.757, p < 0.05) and COPD (AUC = 0.806, p < 0.05) patients. CONCLUSION: Collectively, plasma NfL may be helpful in evaluating sarcopenia phenotype and physical capacity in geriatric patients with COPD.

Probiotics Supplements Improve the Sarcopenia-Related Quality of Life in Older Adults with Age-Related Muscle Decline.

A pathological increase in intestinal leak is implicated in age-associated muscle loss, termed sarcopenia, and reduced sarcopenia-related quality-of-life (SarQoL). However, the potential therapies remain elusive. We investigated the effects of probiotic supplementation on sarcopenia and SarQoL in geriatric older adults. We randomized sarcopenic men into placebo (age = 71.4 ± 3.9 years, n = 63) and probiotic (age = 73 ± 4.1 years, n = 60) groups for 16 weeks. The probiotic used was one capsule daily of Vivomix 112 billion for 16 weeks. We measured sarcopenia parameters of handgrip strength (HGS) and skeletal mass index (SMI), plasma zonulin (marker of the intestinal leak), and SarQoL using a targeted questionnaire. Probiotics improved the SarQoL scores for locomotion, functionality, and activities of daily living and prevented a decline in cumulative SarQoL observed in the placebo group (all p < 0.05). Probiotic supplementation also reduced plasma zonulin and marker of systemic bacterial load. These changes were accompanied by an increase in HGS and maintenance of gait speed in the probiotic group compared to the placebo group. Correlation analysis revealed significant associations of cumulative SarQoL scores with plasma zonulin and HGS in the probiotic group. Collectively, probiotics improved SarQoL and HGS by repairing pathological intestinal leak. Future studies may further dissect the relation between intestinal leak and SarQoL in older adults taking probiotics.

Prognostic value of five serum markers predicting in-hospital mortality among adults with community acquired pneumonia.

INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the prognostic value of serum markers predicting in-hospital mortality among community acquired pneumonia patients. METHODOLOGY: Total 134 patients admitted in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Lahore Pakistan during 2014-16 included. Serum markers recorded upon admission included blood urea nitrogen, albumin, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen/albumin ratio and blood urea nitrogen/creatinine ratio. Patients were observed for the incidence of mortality during hospitalization. Comparison between survivors and non-survivors for means by t test; odds ratios by contingency tables; and effectiveness of predictors by receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were assessed. RESULTS: Overall mean age was 50 ± 21 years; males 45.5%; and in-hospital mortality 9.7%. For in-hospital mortality, creatinine ≥ 2.8 mg/dL showed the highest odds (OR = 7.656, 95% CI = 2.281-25.692; p = 0.001); followed by CURB-65 score ≥ 4 (OR = 4.958, 95% CI = 0.418-58.784; p = 0.266); and blood urea nitrogen ≥ 24.7 mg/dL (OR = 3.364, 95% CI = 1.033-10.954; p = 0.062). Serum creatinine was a fair predictor of in-hospital mortality (AUC = 0.721) showed 53.0% sensitivity and 87.0% specificity at cut-off 2.8 mg/dL. Blood urea nitrogen (AUC = 0.691) and blood urea nitrogen/albumin ratio (AUC = 0.675) were poor predictors; whereas albumin (AUC = 0.424) and blood urea nitrogen/creatinine ratio (AUC = 0.403) failed to predict in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Among five serum markers, raised serum creatinine was a better predictor of in-hospital mortality in adults with community acquired pneumonia.