Research Square · Oct 19, 2026
Discovery of FLNA and VCAN as Novel Plasma Diagnostic Biomarkers for Sarcopenia in Older Chinese Adults
By Wang Y, Yang C, Ren L et al.
This study aimed to screen and verify plasma diagnostic biomarkers for sarcopenia in older Chinese adults using data-independent acquisition–based proteomics. We recruited community-dwelling older Chinese adults aged ≥ 65 years and divided them into sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups following the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 diagnostic criteria. Plasma samples from six individuals in each group were subjected to proteomics screening to identify differentially expressed proteins. For validation using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the sample size was increased to 52 in the sarcopenia group and 107 in the non-sarcopenia group. The diagnostic efficacy of candidate biomarkers was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. A total of 48 differential proteins were identified (38 upregulated, 10 downregulated). ELISA confirmed that FLNA and VCAN were highly upregulated in the sarcopenia group and were independent risk factors for sarcopenia. FLNA showed better diagnostic efficacy (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.797, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.727–0.868) than VCAN (AUC = 0.654, 95% CI: 0.554–0.754). In conclusion, the serum levels of FLNA and VCAN are elevated in sarcopenia, and FLNA is a promising diagnostic biomarker for sarcopenia.