Is mitochondrial dysfunction involed in adverse health outcomes in later life?

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26670342
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Hygiene and public health
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital and Institute of Gerontology
• Principal Investigator: Shinkai Shoji 地方独立行政法人東京都健康長寿医療センター(東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所), 東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所, 副所長 (60171063)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): ITO Masafumi 東京都健康長寿医療センター(東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所), 東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所, 研究部長 (80393114) ; FUJITA Yasunori 東京都健康長寿医療センター(東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所), 東京都健康長寿医療センター研究所, 研究員 (30515888)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: ミトコンドリア / 加齢 / 分子疫学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) is highly increased in sera of mitochondrial disease patients. However, clinico-epidemiological relevance of moderately elevated serum GDF15 has not been examined extensively. In this study, 1836 community-dwelling older were followed for a mean period of 4.7 years, and the association of baseline serum GCF15 with subsequent mortaliry risk（n=134）was examined. Even after controlling for demographics, conventional mortality risks and inflammation markers using the Cox proportional hazard model, those with hihger concentrations of GDF15 showed significantly increased rik of mortality compaired with those with lower GDF concentrations. Additional adjustment for inflammation markers did not essentially change the associations. In conclusion, serum GDF15 concentrations independently predicted total mortality in a general population of older adluts, which implies a possible involvement of mitochondrial dysfunction in aging process in later life.

Free Research Field

老年学