Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41592067›Full record

ArticlePloS one2026

IL-18 Binding Protein, a biomarker of strength maintenance after surgery but reduced physical performance in age-related sarcopenia.

Richard Paul, Christos Rossios, Aaron C Hinken, David Neil, Alan Russell, Miles D Witham, Mark J Griffiths, Paul R Kemp

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Richard PaulCardiovascular and Respiratory Interface Section, National Heart and Lung Institute, VPD Building Hammersmith Campus, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Christos RossiosCardiovascular and Respiratory Interface Section, National Heart and Lung Institute, VPD Building Hammersmith Campus, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Aaron C HinkenMuscle Metabolism Discovery Performance Unit, GlaxoSmithKline, Inc., Collegeville, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
David NeilMuscle Metabolism Discovery Performance Unit, GlaxoSmithKline, Inc., Collegeville, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
Alan RussellMuscle Metabolism Discovery Performance Unit, GlaxoSmithKline, Inc., Collegeville, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
Miles D WithamAGE Research Group, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle, United Kingdom.
Mark J GriffithsCardiovascular and Respiratory Interface Section, National Heart and Lung Institute, VPD Building Hammersmith Campus, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Paul R KempCardiovascular and Respiratory Interface Section, National Heart and Lung Institute, VPD Building Hammersmith Campus, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8975-7293

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Inflammation is thought to contribute to muscle loss in acute and chronic sarcopenia. Which inflammatory proteins contribute to sarcopenia in any condition is not clear. In a well-characterised cohort of patients experiencing acute sarcopenia following surgery, we used a proteomic screen of plasma to identify proteins associated with the change in strength. We compared change in handgrip strength over 7 days in surgery patients with plasma protein levels quantified by SOMAscan before and 24h after surgery. Surgery increased circulating concentrations of 295 proteins and decreased 301. Analysis of the day 1 protein levels showed that IL-18BP associated with maintenance of strength. To further investigate relationships between IL18BP and strength, IL-18BP as well as its ligands IL-18 and IL-37, were quantified by ELISA and in surgery patients and in 129 individuals (68 women) with age-related sarcopenia recruited to the Leucine and/or ACE inhibitor (LACE) trial. In LACE participants, the proteins were compared to grip strength, quadriceps maximal voluntary contraction (QMVC) and 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) and baseline SARC-F score. In the LACE cohort, IL-18BP was negatively associated with grip strength in men but not women, at baseline (r = -0.314, p = 0.014) and 12 months (r = -0.446, p = 0.001). QMVC and 6MWD showed similar associations. IL-18BP was associated with SARC-F in men (r = 0.389, p = 0.003) but not women. Investigation of SOMAscan data from surgery patients at baseline showed similar inverse associations of IL-18BP with strength. Comparison of circulating IL-18BP with the muscle transcriptome in these patients showed negative enrichment for mitochondrial genes. Analysis of the ligands showed that free IL-18 was proportional to 6MWD. After surgery high IL-18BP levels associate with maintenance of strength but circulating IL-18BP concentrations are associated with reduced muscle strength in men with sarcopenia. These data are consistent with known effects of IL-18BP ligands on the maintenance of mitochondrial function.

Indexed as

Intercellular Signaling Peptides and ProteinsMuscle StrengthPhysical Functional PerformanceSarcopeniaAgedBiomarkersFemaleHand StrengthHumansInterleukin-18MaleMiddle AgedBiomarkersIntercellular Signaling Peptides and ProteinsInterleukin-18interleukin-18 binding protein

Identifiers

PMID41592067
PMCPMC12843554

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.