Abstract
BACKGROUND: Physical function declines, and markers of inflammation increase with advancing age, even in healthy persons. Microbial translocation (MT) is the systemic exposure to mucosal surface microbes/microbial products without overt bacteremia and has been described in a number of pathologic conditions. We hypothesized that markers of MT, soluble CD14 (sCD14) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) binding protein (LBP), may be a source of chronic inflammation in older persons and be associated with poorer physical function. METHODS: We assessed cross-sectional relationships among two plasma biomarkers of MT (sCD14 and LBP), physical function (hand grip strength, short physical performance battery [SPPB], gait speed, walking distance, and disability questionnaire), and biomarkers of inflammation (C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), TNF-α soluble receptor 1 [TNFsR1]) in 59 older (60-89 years), healthy (no evidence of acute or chronic illness) men and women. RESULTS: LBP was inversely correlated with SPPB score and grip strength (p = .02 and p < .01, respectively) and positively correlated with CRP (p = 0.04) after adjusting for age, gender, and body mass index. sCD14 correlated with IL-6 (p = .01), TNF-α (p = .05), and TNFsR1 (p < .0001). Furthermore, the correlations between LBP and SPPB and grip strength remained significant after adjusting for each inflammatory biomarker. CONCLUSIONS: In healthy older individuals, LBP, a surrogate marker of MT, is associated with worse physical function and inflammation. Additional study is needed to determine whether MT is a marker for or a cause of inflammation and the associated functional impairments.