Plasma vascular adhesion protein-1 levels correlate positively with frailty severity in older adults.

ABSTRACT

Geriatric frailty is associated with increased mortality and links to increased inflammatory activity. Vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) is important in inflammatory process. This study investigates the relationship between plasma VAP-1 level and frailty in older adults.The cross-sectional study recruited community dwelling older adults from a hospital-based comprehensive geriatric assessment program. The demographic data, Fried Frailty Index, metabolic and inflammatory parameters were assessed.A total of 151 participants (76 women, 50.3%) were included in the analysis, and the age (mean ±â€Š standard deviation) was 77.1 ±â€Š6.1 years. The mean plasma VAP-1 level (ng/mL) was significantly different (P = .029) among different frailty groups (346.3 ±â€Š86.5 in the robust older adults, 371.6 ±â€Š107.9 in the pre-frail older adults, and 416.6 ±â€Š141.1 in the frail older adults). Multivariate ordered logistic regression analysis also demonstrated that plasma VAP-1 levels were positively associated with frailty severity (P = .039). Analysis of the frailty components with plasma VAP-1 levels showed that the elderly who had "exhaustion" (P = .016) or "weakness" (P = .025) tended to have higher plasma VAP-1 levels.The data support that VAP-1 might represent a potential plasma biomarker of frailty.