Association of Primary Sarcopenia with Serum MMP2, TIMP2 Levels, and MMP2/TIMP2 Ratio

Objective: Our aim is to evaluate the association of serum matrix metalloproteinase (MMP2), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP2) levels, MMP2/TIMP2 ratio, SARC-F with primary sarcopenia, and to investigate the coexistence of primary sarcopenia and osteoporosis in geriatric population.Materials and Methods: A total of 80 geriatric patients (41 sarcopenic patients) were included in the study. Patients with secondary sarcopenia were excluded. By SARC-F questionnaire, patients who were at risk for sarcopenia were found as mentioned by EWGSOP2. Serum MMP2 and TIMP2 levels were analyzed by ELISA method. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was used for the diagnosis of osteoporosis.Results: The SARC-F score of the sarcopenia group was statistically significantly higher and the incidence of osteoporosis was higher in this group than the group without sarcopenia (p<0.001, p=0.006, respectively). There was no significant difference between the sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic groups in terms of gender, age, serum MMP2, TIMP2 and MMP2/TIMP2 ratio (p=0.959, p=0.182, p=0.366, p=0.225, p=0.641 respectively). In the multivariate regression analysis it was determined that SARC-F and osteoporosis had a significant effect on sarcopenia [p<0.001, odds ratio (OR) (95%) confidence interval (CI) 1.735 (1.292-2.330); p=0.006, OR (95%) CI 4.976 (1.590-15.572) respectively]. The area under ROC curve (AUC) of SARC-F and MMP2/TIMP2 ratio was 0.771 and 0.530 (p<0.001, 95% CI 0.665-0.877; p=0.641, %95 CI 0.403-0.658, respectively). Sensitivity and specificity for SARC-F score >= 4 were 58.5% and 87.2%, respectively.Conclusion: Our study supports the usage of SARC-F in finding of primary sarcopenia cases. We have revealed that serum MMP2, TIMP2 level and MMP2/TIMP2 ratio are not suitable markers for diagnosing sarcopenia. Since the coexistence of osteoporosis and sarcopenia is common in the elderly, they should be considered together.