The association of serum cathepsin B concentration with age-related cardiovascular-renal subclinical state in a healthy Chinese population

• First study examining associations of CTSB with aging-related cardiovascular-renal subclinical state in a healthy Chinease population.
• Serum CTSB was correlated with aging-related cardiovascular-renal parameters in healthy people.
• Measurement of serum CTSB can provide valuable information for predicting the cardiovascular-renal function in healthy people, especially in elderly women.

ContextCathepsin B (CTSB) is an important enzyme for many physiological and pathological processes, and its activity increases with age. Here, we explored the association between serum CTSB and aging-related subclinical cardiovascular and renal status in a healthy Chinese population.MethodsThe study included 369 healthy individuals aged 36–87 years. Cardiovascular structure and function were assessed by the left ventricular ejection fraction, the early-diastolic peak flow velocity to late-diastolic peak flow velocity ratio at the mitral leaflet tips, carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), the diameter of the bilateral common carotid artery (D), and blood systolic peak (SPV) and end diastolic velocities, which were measured by M-mode ultrasonography. Serum CTSB, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), 1, 25-dihydroxy vitamin D3, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.ResultsIn men, serum CTSB was significantly related to IMT and IMT/D in the unadjusted model, and these associations were lost after age adjustment. In women, serum CTSB remained significantly associated with serum creatinine (SCr) (p = 0.009), estimated glomerular filtration rate (p = 0.048) and IMT/D (p = 0.017) following full adjustment. PTH was independently associated with SCr. IGF-1 was significantly associated with SPV in women. CTSB was correlated with metabolic and endocrine biomarkers.ConclusionSerum CTSB was associated with aging-related cardiovascular-renal parameters even in healthy people. Measurement of serum CTSB alone or in combination with metabolic and endocrine biomarkers can provide valuable information for predicting cardiovascular-renal function in healthy people, especially in elderly women.