Undulating changes in human plasma proteome profiles across the lifespan.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional observational biomarker study
PubMed 31806903 · doi:10.1038/s41591-019-0673-2
What was done
Researchers measured 2,925 plasma proteins in 4,263 individuals aged 18 to 95 years. They developed and applied a bioinformatics approach to analyze trajectory patterns and non-linear changes in the human plasma proteome across the lifespan, mapping these alterations to genomic data, phenotypic traits, and age-related disease pathways.
What was found
Plasma proteomic changes across the human lifespan were distinctly non-linear, presenting marked waves of alteration occurring in the fourth, seventh, and eighth decades of life. These shifts reflected distinct biological pathways and showed differential associations with genetic and proteomic profiles of age-related diseases. Specific numerical values and individual protein metrics were not detailed in the abstract.
Why it matters
This work demonstrates that biological aging in human plasma occurs in distinct waves rather than a constant, linear decline. Identifying these decade-specific biological pathway shifts provides potential molecular targets and biomarkers for age-related chronic diseases.
Limits
The study design is cross-sectional across age cohorts rather than a longitudinal follow-up of individuals over time. The abstract does not provide exact effect sizes, demographic composition, or health status details of the participants.
Cited by
- supports Biological aging is non-linear across the lifespan, accelerating during specific phases such as puberty, the early 40s, and the early 60s before slowing again.
- supports Human blood composition across the lifespan exhibits distinct 'waves of aging,' with the first wave occurring around age 34 to 35 with dramatic shifts in protein concentrations in both men and women.