Myostatin in combination with creatine phosphokinase or albumin may differentiate patients with cirrhosis and sarcopenia
Abstract
Serum levels of myostatin were significantly lower in cirrhotic patients with impaired skeletal mass index (SMI) and sarcopenia than those without. Serum levels of myostatin have a positive correlation with SMI. Myostatin levels are independently associated with sarcopenia, diagnosed according to the latest criteria, in patients with cirrhosis. Myostatin in combination with creatine phosphokinase or albumin have good accuracy excluding sarcopenia in patients with cirrhosis.
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MSTN may act as a common mediator linking skeletal muscle metabolic disorders and vascular pathology in a muscle-vascular axis.
“The clinical relevance of MSTN in cardiovascular disease is underscored by observations that atherosclerosis patients often suffer from sarcopenia, and MSTN levels independently correlate with low skeletal muscle mass, suggesting the existence of a “muscle-vascular axis” where MSTN may act as a common mediator linking skeletal muscle metabolic disorders and vascular pathology [61].”
From Exercise-Induced Myokines in Obesity-Related Metabolic Disorders and Cardiovascular Protection: A Narrative Review (2026) · cites this paper as [61]
Atherosclerosis patients often suffer from sarcopenia.
“The clinical relevance of MSTN in cardiovascular disease is underscored by observations that atherosclerosis patients often suffer from sarcopenia, and MSTN levels independently correlate with low skeletal muscle mass, suggesting the existence of a “muscle-vascular axis” where MSTN may act as a common mediator linking skeletal muscle metabolic disorders and vascular pathology [61].”
From Exercise-Induced Myokines in Obesity-Related Metabolic Disorders and Cardiovascular Protection: A Narrative Review (2026) · cites this paper as [61]
MSTN levels independently correlate with low skeletal muscle mass.
“The clinical relevance of MSTN in cardiovascular disease is underscored by observations that atherosclerosis patients often suffer from sarcopenia, and MSTN levels independently correlate with low skeletal muscle mass, suggesting the existence of a “muscle-vascular axis” where MSTN may act as a common mediator linking skeletal muscle metabolic disorders and vascular pathology [61].”
From Exercise-Induced Myokines in Obesity-Related Metabolic Disorders and Cardiovascular Protection: A Narrative Review (2026) · cites this paper as [61]
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Osteosarcopenia in NAFLD/MAFLD: an underappreciated clinical problem in chronic liver disease
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“…that atherosclerosis patients often suffer from sarcopenia, and MSTN levels independently correlate with low skeletal muscle mass, suggesting the existence of a “muscle-vascular axis” where MSTN may act as a common mediator linking skeletal muscle metabolic disorders and vascular pathology [61].”
- Authors
- Alexopoulos, T., Vasilieva, L., Kontogianni, M. D., Tenta, R., Georgiou, A., Stroumpouli, E., Mani, I., & Alexopoulou, A.
- Affiliations
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (GR)
- Harokopio University of Athens (GR)
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences and Education, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece
- Hippocration General Hospital (GR)
- Corresponding author
- Alexopoulou, Alexandra
- ORCID
- Venue
- American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology
- Publisher
- American Physiological Society
- Published
- 2021-11-01
- Volume
- 321
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- G543-G551
- ISSN
- 0193-1857 (ISSN-L)
- 1522-1547
- OpenAlex
- W3196731607
- Cited by
- 40
- References
- 47
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 4
- FWCI
- 3.92
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Nutrition and Health in Aging
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Hepatology › Liver Disease and Transplantation
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Muscle Physiology and Disorders
- Keywords
- myostatin, sarcopenia, liver cirrhosis, creatine kinase, serum albumin, skeletal muscle index, sarcopenia diagnosis, biomarkers
- MeSH terms
- Serum Albumin, Human, Aged, Creatine Kinase, Diagnosis, Differential, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Female, Humans, Liver Cirrhosis, Male, Middle Aged, Predictive Value of Tests, Prospective Studies, Severity of Illness Index, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Biomarkers, Case-Control Studies, Muscle, Skeletal, Myostatin, Sarcopenia
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