Evidence mapPaperPMID 41940919Full record

ArticleAging clinical and experimental research2026

An exploratory multi-biomarker panel including fecal calprotectin, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Fibroblast-Growth Factor-21 and irisin shows poor diagnostic accuracy for detecting probable sarcopenia in community-dwelling older persons.

Laurence Lapauw, Lode Vermeiren, Laura Vercauteren, Nadjia Amini, Lisa Peeters, Sebastiaan Dalle, Katrien Koppo, Muriel Derrien, Jolan Dupont, Jeroen Raes and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Aging clinical and experimental research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Laurence LapauwDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, division of Gerontology and Geriatrics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9546-8532
Lode VermeirenFaculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Laura VercauterenDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, division of Gerontology and Geriatrics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6807-9550
Nadjia AminiDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, division of Gerontology and Geriatrics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1164-2896
Lisa PeetersDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, division of Gerontology and Geriatrics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-0718-8160
Sebastiaan DalleDepartment of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5734-3993
Katrien KoppoDepartment of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6022-1097
Muriel DerrienDepartment of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8841-9153
Jolan DupontDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, division of Gerontology and Geriatrics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. jolan.dupont@uzleuven.be.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5336-2791
Jeroen RaesDepartment of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1337-041X
Evelien GielenDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, division of Gerontology and Geriatrics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8985-1201

Funding

Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek G099721N
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundsSerum and fecal biological markers that reflect underlying drivers of sarcopenia, may aid in novel predictive or diagnostic tools for sarcopenia.

aimsTo explore the potential of five specific myokines and fecal calprotectin (fCPT) as biomarkers for diagnosing the presence of at least probable sarcopenia in community-dwelling individuals aged ≥ 65 years.

methodsThis cross-sectional, exploratory study included 156 participants (median age 73y), of whom 59 (20♂, 39♀) had at least probable sarcopenia per EWGSOP2 criteria, and 97 (33♂, 64♀) controls. Myostatin, irisin, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1), Fibroblast Growth Factor-21 (FGF-21), and fCPT were measured using Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA). Muscle mass and function were assessed via appendicular lean mass (ALM), hand grip strength (HGS), 5-time chair stand test (CST), gait speed, and the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Linear and logistic regressions analyses were performed. Diagnostic accuracy was evaluated using Area’s Under the Curve (AUC).

resultsParticipants with fCPT < 50 µg/g walked faster than those with fCPT ≥ 200 µg/g. Higher fCPT associated with slower gait speed (β: -0.003; 95% CI [-0.001; -0.00002]), while IGF-1 associated with higher HGS (β: 0.077; 95% CI [0.039; 0.116]). BDNF alone diagnosed at least having probable sarcopenia (AUC: 0.63; sensitivity 53%, specificity 71%). A multi-biomarker panel comprising BDNF, irisin, FGF-21 and fCPT modestly improved accuracy (AUC: 0.71; sensitivity 64%, specificity 77%), but this improvement was not statistically significant compared with the single biomarkers BDNF (p = 0.330) and fCPT (p = 0.180). DISCUSSION: The multi-biomarker panel significantly diagnosed at least having probable sarcopenia, but with high false negative (36%) and positive (23%) rates, respectively.

conclusionThe clinical relevance of this specific multi-biomarker panel may be limited due to moderate diagnostic accuracy. Validation in larger cohorts is needed.

Indexed as

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic FactorFecesFibroblast Growth FactorsFibronectinsLeukocyte L1 Antigen ComplexSarcopeniaAgedAged, 80 and overBiomarkersCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansIndependent LivingMaleMyokinesBiomarkersBrain-Derived Neurotrophic FactorFGF21 protein, humanFibroblast Growth FactorsFibronectinsFNDC5 protein, humanLeukocyte L1 Antigen ComplexMyokinesBiomarkersFecal calprotectinMyokinesOlder adultsSarcopenia

Identifiers

PMID41940919
PMCPMC13194332

What Socratic holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.