Elevated Serum CXCL9 Levels Are Associated with Greater Frailty Risk in Older Women

Frailty is a clinical syndrome that increases the vulnerability to adverse outcomes in older adults. C-X-C motif ligand 9 (CXCL9), a marker of chronic inflammation, has been implicated in musculoskeletal decline and mortality. However, its relationship with frailty in older individuals has not been well studied.

This study included 237 community-dwelling women, aged 65 years or older, who underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment. Serum CXCL9 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Frailty was defined using the Fried phenotype and the Rockwood deficit accumulation index. Associations between serum CXCL9 levels and frailty outcomes were examined using a multivariate regression analysis.

Serum CXCL9 increased progressively across the frailty categories (robust: 239.3±110.1 pg/mL; frail: 347.5±119.0 pg/mL; P<0.001). Higher levels of CXCL9 were independently associated with a greater frailty index (β=0.0001, P<0.001), lower skeletal muscle index (β=-0.001, P=0.004), weaker grip strength (β=-0.010, P<0.001), and slower gait speed (β=-0.0003, P=0.039). Women in the highest CXCL9 quartile had 3.20-fold greater odds of frailty (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.70 to 14.56), 3.41-fold greater odds of sarcopenia (95% CI, 1.25 to 9.30), and 6.71-fold greater odds of low muscle strength (95% CI, 1.75 to 25.78) compared with the lowest quartile.

Elevated CXCL9 levels were independently associated with greater frailty burden and adverse musculoskeletal phenotypes in older women. These findings support CXCL9 as a promising biomarker of chronic inflammation and frailty, and warrant further investigation through longitudinal studies.