Association of Uremic Sarcopenia and Mitochondrial Copy Number and Its Clinical Correlates in Taiwanese Hemodialysis Patients

Sarcopenia is the decline of muscle mass and strength with age. Evidence suggests that oxidative stress and molecular inflammation play important roles in age-related muscle atrophy. The two factors may interfere with the balance between protein synthesis and breakdown, cause mitochondrial dysfunction(definition), and induce apoptosis. Sarcopenia, inflammation and oxidative stress is highly prevalent in hemodialysis patients and may contribute to mortality. The copy number of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is affected by oxidative stress in blood circulation. This study aimed to test whether mtDNA copy number correlates with oxidative stress and some uremic toxins in nondiabetic hemodialysis(HD) patients. 200 nondiabetic hemodialysis patients and 50 healthy subjects will be enrolled. This study will be performed to investigate quantitative changes in mtDNA occur in HD patients with and without sarcopenia. Copy number of mtDNA in leukocyte DNA is determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction in HD patients and 50 age- and sex-matched control subjects. In addition, correlation of the alterations of albumin redox status, 8-isoprostane, plasma IL-6 ,LBP and TNF-a and as well as various uremic toxins will be performed.