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The Secret of Age and Health: Why does suPAR rise with age?
When discussing markers of immune system health, suPAR (soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor) has become a hot topic in medical research. Levels of suPAR generally increase with age, a phenomenon that has attracted the attention of scientists and medical professionals. suPAR is a soluble form cleaved from membrane-bound uPAR due to inflammation or activation of the immune system. It is mainly expressed on immune cells, endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells.
The concentration of suPAR is positively correlated with the level of immune system activation and therefore can be used as a marker of disease severity and aggressiveness.
Studies have pointed out that there is a certain correlation between age and the increase in suPAR levels. In the general population, suPAR levels are higher in women relative to men, which also significantly affects the predictive power of this biomarker for health status. For people who want to understand their own health, it is undoubtedly important to understand this level of information.
The clinical significance of suPAR
As a biomarker reflecting immune system activity, suPAR is positively correlated with a variety of pro-inflammatory biomarkers, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) and C-reactive protein (CRP). Elevated suPAR levels are often associated with an increased risk of organ damage and death in a variety of acute and chronic diseases.
The elevation of suPAR is closely related to systemic inflammatory response syndrome, cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and other diseases.
Applications in acute medical patients
In emergency medicine, the measurement of suPAR provides an important basis for patient risk assessment and triage. In acute medical patients, suPAR levels below 4 ng/mL generally portend a good prognosis, while above 6 ng/mL indicate patients are at higher risk for negative outcomes, which could help healthcare providers identify urgent needs more quickly. Treating patients.
suPAR during the epidemic: impact of COVID-19
With the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, suPAR measurement has become more widely used. Research shows that in COVID-19 patients, early increases in suPAR levels are associated with an increased risk of severe disease progression, including severe conditions such as respiratory failure and acute kidney injury.
For those patients, suPAR levels below 4 ng/mL usually indicate mild disease; but above 6 ng/mL, the risk increases significantly.
The role of suPAR in cardiovascular diseases
Patients with cardiovascular disease generally have higher suPAR levels than healthy individuals. This makes suPAR a potential predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, further emphasizing its importance in public health.
Kidney health and suPAR
In the kidney, suPAR is critical for regulating the permeability of the glomerular filtration barrier. Studies have shown that elevated suPAR levels are associated with the development of chronic kidney disease and decreased kidney function. In addition, high concentrations of suPAR are also significantly associated with related cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
Molecular characteristics of suPAR
At the molecular level, the suPAR structure consists of 17 anti-parallel β-plates and three short α-helices, which allows it to exhibit unique properties when interacting with different ligands. There are multiple variants of suPAR, and different post-translational modifications result in molecular weight changes ranging from 24–66 kDa.
Technology for measuring suPAR
The technology for measuring suPAR is also becoming more and more advanced. There are many products on the market, such as the suPARnostic® series of products, which are used to quantitatively measure suPAR in clinical settings. These products have obtained CE-IVD certification, which greatly improves the efficiency of suPAR measurement. Accuracy of clinical diagnosis.
Through in-depth research on suPAR, scientists have gained a deeper understanding of the connections between age, health and the immune system. This also raises the question: With suPAR being strongly associated with aging, should we consider it an important predictor of health?
