Evaluation of Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 as a Potential Biomarker for Sarcopenia among Elderly Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis | ||
| The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine | ||
| Volume 101, Issue 1, October 2025, Pages 5492-5498 PDF (713.17 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejhm.2025.464811 | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Background: Sarcopenia denotes progressive age-related reduction in skeletal muscle mass and strength. In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), chronic synovial inflammation and metabolic dysregulation can accelerate its development. Objective: To assess insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) as a potential biomarker for sarcopenia in elderly RA cases. Patients and Methods: Ninety participants were stratified into three groups (30 each): Group A-RA with sarcopenia, Group B-RA without sarcopenia, and Group C-age- and sex-matched controls. All underwent clinical evaluation, including body mass index (BMI), hand-grip strength (HGS), mid-arm circumference (MAC), and 4-meter walk test (4MWT). Laboratory tests included C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), rheumatoid factor(RF), anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA), and serum IGF-1. Results: Females predominated across all groups. Group A showed the lowest MAC (19.04 ± 2.26 cm), reduced HGS (11.77 ± 6.81 kg), and slowest 4MWT (9.93 ± 1.55 s). Mean IGF-1 levels were lower in Group A (26.53 ± 16.69 ng/mL) than Group B (35.67 ± 7.80 ng/mL) and Group C (63.25 ± 11.28 ng/mL). IGF-1 correlated negatively with disease activity score involving 28 joints for ESR (DAS28-ESR) (rₛ = –0.318, p = 0.013), Disease Activity Score(DAS28-CRP) (rₛ = –0.367, p = 0.004), and 4MWT (rₛ = –0.676, p < 0.001), and positively with MAC (rₛ = 0.715, p < 0.001) and HGS (rₛ = 0.611, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Lower IGF-1 levels in RA cases with sarcopenia indicate its potential utility as a biomarker for early detection and monitoring of muscle loss and disease activity. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Insulin Growth Factor-1; Sarcopenia; Rheumatoid Arthritis; Elderly | ||
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