Leukocyte Circular RNAs Correlate with Frailty
Researchers here report that increased levels of some circular RNAs in leukocytes isolated from blood samples correlate well with age-related frailty. Interventions such as structured exercise programs that known to help with frailty may reduce levels of these circular RNAs, though more exploration than took place in the present study would be needed to confirm that this is the case. As to why this relationship exists between frailty and specific circular RNAs, that is a question for researchers to explore in the years ahead.
Frailty is an intermediate and reversible geriatric syndrome that often precedes dependence. Therefore, its identification is essential to prevent dependence. Several molecules have been proposed as biomarkers of frailty, but none of them have reached clinical practice. Recently, circular RNAs have emerged as new non-coding RNAs. Their regulatory role together with their high stability in biofluids makes them good candidates as biomarkers for various processes, but, to date, no study has characterized the expression of circRNA in frailty.
We studied RNA from leukocytes of 35 frail and 35 robust individuals to determine the best circRNA combination to discriminate frail from robust. In addition, CircRNA candidates were studied in 13 additional elder donors before and after a 3-month physical intervention. We found 89 differentially expressed circRNAs with frailty. Upregulation of hsa_circ_0007817, hsa_circ_0101802 and hsa_circ_0060527 in frail individuals was validated. The combination of hsa_circ_0079284, hsa_circ_0007817 and hsa_circ_0075737 levels showed a great biomarker value with a 95.9% probability of correctly classifying frail and robust individuals. Moreover, hsa_circ_0079284 levels decreased after physical intervention in concordance with an improvement in frailty scores.
This work describes for the first time a different expression pattern of circular RNA (circRNAs) between frail and robust individuals. Moreover, the level of some circRNAs is modulated after a physical intervention. These results suggest that they could be used as minimally invasive biomarkers of frailty.
Doesn't donating plasma remove leukocytes? Though I suppose it's the progenitor cells that are damaged? (hopefully just their epigenome needs a rewind)