MOTS-c Levels and Sarcopenia Risk in Chronic Peritoneal Dialysis Patients: A Pilot Study

<i>Background and Objectives:</i> Sarcopenia is exceedingly frequent in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients on dialysis, including those undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD), and is of multifactorial origin. MOTS-c is a mitochondrial-derived peptide that promotes muscle growth whose...

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Main Authors: Mariateresa Zicarelli, Marta Greco, Stefanos Roumeliotis, Maria Elisa Lo Vasco, Francesco Dragone, Christodoula Kourtidou, Ioannis Alekos, Roberta Misiti, Daniela Patrizia Foti, Giuseppe Coppolino, Vassilios Liakopoulos, Evangelia Dounousi, Davide Bolignano
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Medicina
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/61/2/322
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Summary:<i>Background and Objectives:</i> Sarcopenia is exceedingly frequent in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients on dialysis, including those undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD), and is of multifactorial origin. MOTS-c is a mitochondrial-derived peptide that promotes muscle growth whose levels are unbalanced in ESKD. In this study, we evaluated MOTS-c balance and its relationship with sarcopenia risk in an ESKD-PD cohort. <i>Materials and Methods:</i> MOTS-c was measured in serum, urine, and dialysate samples of 32 chronic PD patients. Patients were thus screened for sarcopenia risk by the SARC-F tool, anthropometric measurements, and physical performance tests. <i>Results:</i> PD patients with a very high sarcopenia risk (SARC-F ≥ 2) had significantly lower serum (sMOTS-c) and higher dialysate (dMOTS-c) levels, suggesting an increased peritoneal clearance of this substance (d/s MOTS-c). sMOTS-c levels were directly correlated with muscle performance in physical tests, while an opposite relationship was found with dMOTS-c and d/sMOTS-c. ROC analyses demonstrated the diagnostic potential of MOTS-c, particularly in combination with physical and anthropometric assessments, to identify PD patients at very high risk of sarcopenia. <i>Conclusions:</i> Chronic PD may negatively affect MOTS-c balance, which, in turn, may contribute to enhanced sarcopenia risk. Larger studies are needed to confirm these observations and to validate the potential utility of this substance as a biomarker for improving sarcopenia risk stratification in PD patients.
ISSN:1010-660X
1648-9144