LMS-based continuous reference values for the myokine musclin in serum in children and adults
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Published on: August 8, 2013
Anne Schön1, Hannah Weber1, Katharina Schermuly1
1Department of Pediatric Kidney, Liver, Metabolic and Neurological Diseases, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Background:
Musclin is a myokine which is linked to muscle activity and systemic metabolic regulation. Age-specific reference values for serum musclin are lacking in both the pediatric and adult population, limiting the interpretation of circulating musclin concentrations in clinical practice and studies.
Objectives:
To establish Lambda-Mu-Sigma (LMS)-based continuous age-specific reference values for serum musclin in children and adults.
Methods:
Musclin concentrations were measured in serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 399 children (190 girls) aged 0.1-18 years from the HAnnover Reference values for Pediatrics (HARP) cohort and in 502 adults (257 female) aged 18-70 years from the HAnnover Reference values for Adults (HARA) cohort. LMS-based continuous reference percentiles were generated using RefCurv software.
Results:
Serum musclin concentrations were significantly associated with age (p<0.001) but not with sex. Across the 3rd-75th percentiles, musclin concentrations increased continuously from infancy to adulthood. In the 75th-97th percentiles, serum musclin rose up to approximately 40-55 years of age and then showed a gradual decline until 70 years. Women taking estrogen-containing oral contraceptives had significantly lower musclin serum concentrations compared to age-matched women not using hormonal contraception.
Conclusions:
This study provides the first LMS-based continuous pediatric and adult reference percentiles for serum musclin, enabling the calculation of age-adjusted patient z-scores. This facilitates test result interpretation in children and adults in the clinic and studies.
