Association of Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1 and Dickkopf-1 with Body Composition and Physical Performance in Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Singapore

Objective: We aim to determine the association of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) and dickkopft-1 (DKK-1) as potential biomarkers that may predict changes in body composition and physical performance in healthy older adults from Singapore. Methods: Two-hundred community-dwelling older adults (mean age: 67.9 years; 68.5% females) were classified into elevated versus non-elevated groups based on quintile cut-offs of MCP-1 and DKK-1 levels (156.02 pg/mL and 606.31 pg/mL, respectively). Multiple linear regression was performed to examine the relationship between MCP-1 and DKK-1 with body composition and physical performance, adjusted for age, gender and ethnicity. Results: MCP-1 was significantly associated with higher fat mass, fat mass index, percentage body fat, waist circumference and trunk-limb ratio for fat mass (all p<0.01), and repeated chair stand (p=0.004). DKK-1 was not associated with body composition and physical performance measures. Utilising the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) 2019 criteria, there were 39 (19.5%) sarcopenia and 161 (80.5%) non-sarcopenia participants respectively, with MCP-1 levels significantly higher in sarcopenia compared with non-sarcopenia (p=0.046), but not for DKK-1 (p=0.525). Conclusions: Elevated MCP-1 are associated with changes in fat composition, physical performance and sarcopenia, suggesting its usefulness in identifying at-risk group with sarcopenic obesity.