Abstract

Lipocalin-2 (LCN2), a hormone produced by adipocytes, osteoblasts and renal tubular cells, is implicated in age-related diseases, including cardio-metabolic disease. To understand the role LCN2 may play in pathological states, we first need to elucidate the relationship between circulating LCN2 with indices of cardio-metabolic health during “normal” ageing. This study examined the relationship between serum levels of LCN2, age and cardio-metabolic measures across the adult lifespan in males and females. We conducted a pooled cohort analysis including 124 community-dwelling males (n = 52) and females (n = 72) (age 20 - 87 years, median BMI 25.92 (23.04, 29.81) kg/m2). Serum LCN2 was analysed using a two-step chemiluminescent microparticle monoclonal immunoassay. The relationship between LCN2 and age was evaluated by linear regression and cubic spline. Simple linear regressions were performed to investigate the relationship between LCN2 and the following variables: BMI, VO2peak, serum glucose, body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry). For every 1 year increase in age, LCN2 levels were 0.26 mg/L higher (p = 0.007, 95% CI [0.07, 0.45]). Each 1 unit increase in BMI (kg/m2) was associated with 0.88 mg/L higher LCN2 levels (p = 0.027, [0.10, 1.66]) and each 1 unit increase in VO2peak (mL/kg/min) was associated with 0.38 mg/L lower LCN2 (p = 0.003, [- 0.63, -0.13]).There was no significant relationship between LCN2 and sex, glucose levels or body composition (all p > 0.05). LCN2 increased linearly across the adult lifespan while it decreased as fitness level increased. Future research should build on these findings to determine whether LCN2 can be used as a biomarker for chronic disease and if exercise can mitigate age-related disease associated with LCN2 changes.

Keywords

Aging, clinical trials, bone interactors, endocrine, cytokines

Document Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

2025

Volume

9

Issue

2

Publication Title

JBMR Plus

Publisher

Oxford University Press

School

Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute

RAS ID

76537

Funding Information

This work was supported by NE National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Grant (APP1194159). The Gene SMART study is also supported by an Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project Grants (DP190103081 and DP200101830). The work was also supported by I.L Defence Science Institute grant (Australia). The salary of M.S. is supported by a Royal Perth Hospital Research Foundation Fellowship (RPHRF CAF 00/21) and an Emerging Leader Fellowship from the Western Australian Future Health Research and Innovation Fund. The salary of C.S. is supported by a Heart Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship (Award number: 107194) from the National Heart Foundation of Australia. The salary of J.R.L. is supported by a National Heart Foundation of Australia Future Leader Fellowship (ID: 102817 and 107323).

Funding received from the Australian Research Council (ARC)

DP190103081, DP200101830

Funding received from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)

APP1194159

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Comments

Bauer, C., Smith, C., Vogrin, S., Palmer, A. S., Woessner, M., Landen, S., Jacques, M., Byrnes, E., Eynon, N., Sim, M., Lewis, J. R., & Levinger, I. (2025). Circulating lipocalin-2 across the adult lifespan. JBMR Plus, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.1093/jbmrpl/ziae162

Content Type

Full object

Recommended Citation

Bauer, C., Smith, C., Vogrin, S., Palmer, A. S., Woessner, M., Landen, S., Jacques, M., Byrnes, E., Eynon, N., Sim, M., Lewis, J. R., & Levinger, I. (2025). Circulating lipocalin-2 across the adult lifespan. JBMR Plus, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.1093/jbmrpl/ziae162

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Link to publisher version (DOI)

10.1093/jbmrpl/ziae162