Urinary Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in Aging: Implications for Prediction of Accelerated Biological Age in Prospective Cohort Studies

Background. Aging is a major risk factor for a range of chronic diseases. Oxidative stress theory of aging has been previously proposed as one of the mechanisms responsible for the age-related decline in organ/tissue function and the development of age-related diseases. Urine contains rich biological information on the health status of every major organ system and can be an important noninvasive source for biomarkers of systemic oxidative stress in aging. Aims. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to validate a novel panel of urinary oxidative stress biomarkers. Methods. Nucleic acid oxidation adducts and oxidative damage markers of lipids and proteins were assessed in urine samples from nondiabetic and currently nonsmoking subjects (n=198) across different ages (20 to 89 years old). Urinary parameters and chronological age were correlated then the biological age of enrolled individuals was determined from the urinary oxidative stress markers using the algorithm of Klemera and Doubal. Results. Our findings showed that 8-oxo-7,8-deoxyguanosine (8-oxoG), 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine (8-OHdG), and dityrosine (DTyr) positively correlated with chronological age, while the level of an F-2-isoprostane (iPF(2)alpha-VI) correlated negatively with age. We found that 8-oxoG, DTyr, and iPF(2)alpha-VI were significantly higher among accelerated agers compared to nonaccelerated agers and that a decision tree model could successfully identify accelerated agers with an accuracy of > 92%. Discussion. Our results indicate that 8-oxoG and iPF(2)alpha-VI levels in the urine reveal biological aging. Conclusion. Assessing urinary biomarkers of oxidative stress may be an important approach for the evaluation of biological age by identifying individuals at accelerated risk for the development of age-related diseases.

Automated summary

This study validated a panel of urinary oxidative stress biomarkers and found that they were positively or negatively correlated with age, suggesting their potential in assessing biological age and identifying individuals at accelerated risk for aging-related diseases.