Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42081471›Full record

ArticlePLoS computational biology2026

Co-morbid biomarkers for sarcopenic obesity associated with gut microbiota metabolites: From burden to treatment.

Juehan Wang, Haijun Li, Weiyi Shi, Xiaoxu Ren, Yingying Liu, Lin Mao, Daming Wang, Tianfang Zhang, Ziwei Zhang, Huiqin Zheng and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS computational biology, 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

13 authors.

Juehan WangDepartments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Zhejiang University School of Medicine First Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou, China.
Haijun LiDepartments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Zhejiang University School of Medicine First Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou, China.
Weiyi ShiDepartments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Zhejiang University School of Medicine First Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou, China.
Xiaoxu RenDepartments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Zhejiang University School of Medicine First Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou, China.
Yingying LiuDepartments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Zhejiang University School of Medicine First Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou, China.
Lin MaoDepartments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Zhejiang University School of Medicine First Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou, China.
Daming WangDepartments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Zhejiang University School of Medicine First Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou, China.
Tianfang ZhangDepartments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Zhejiang University School of Medicine First Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou, China.
Ziwei ZhangDepartments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Zhejiang University School of Medicine First Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou, China.
Huiqin ZhengDepartment of Critical Care Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine First Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou, China.
Xiaofeng YangEmergency and trauma center, Zhejiang University School of Medicine First Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou, China.
Mingfei YaoState Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University School of Medicine First Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou, China.
Zuobing ChenDepartments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Zhejiang University School of Medicine First Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2596-4918

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe detrimental cycle of sarcopenic obesity (SO) significantly reduces quality of life in older adults, while the mechanisms are still unclear. MATERIALS AND

methodsWe first analyzed the incidence of SO using the CHARLS database. We identified key genes by integrating differentially expressed genes, weighted gene co-expression network analysis, and targets of gut microbiota metabolites, refining the selection through machine learning methods (LASSO, XGBoost, SVM-REF, Random Forest). These genes were validated through single-cell sequencing, receiver operating characteristic analysis, and Muscle immunohistochemistry in a high-fat-diet (HFD) induced mouse model. Further analyses comprised immune infiltration profiling, pathway enrichment, and transcriptional regulation analysis. Additionally, we explored the relationships between key genes and autophagy, ferroptosis, and immunity responses. Finally, we predicted and evaluated potential therapeutic compounds via the CMap database and molecular docking.

resultsSO incidence in China increased significantly from 16.1% (2011) to 20.4% (2018). Machine learning identified ALDH1A3, CSF1R, and PHGDH as key genes. These genes were validated in external muscle single-cell datasets, demonstrating robust diagnostic performance with AUC values exceeding 0.72 across four independent GEO cohorts. Following an HFD intervention in mice, ALDH1A3 and CSF1R expression in muscle tissue was significantly upregulated, while PHGDH showed a consistent upward trend that did not reach statistical significance. Immune infiltration analysis revealed a significant increase in resting NK cells in both obesity and sarcopenia states. Functional enrichment analyses using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes linked the genes to transcriptional regulation pathways. The Cisbp_M4923 motif was identified as the most relevant transcription factor binding site. Finally, molecular docking simulations indicated stable binding of the top candidate compound, Birinapant, to the key gene targets.

conclusionALDH1A3, CSF1R, and PHGDH serve as potential co-morbid biomarkers for SO.

Indexed as

Gastrointestinal MicrobiomeObesitySarcopeniaAnimalsBiomarkersComputational BiologyDiet, High-FatHumansMachine LearningMiceMolecular Docking SimulationBiomarkers

Identifiers

PMID42081471
PMCPMC13138625

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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.