Epigenetic clocks indicate that kidney transplantation and not dialysis mitigate the effects of renal ageing

Neytchev, O. et al. (2023) Epigenetic clocks indicate that kidney transplantation and not dialysis mitigate the effects of renal ageing. Journal of Internal Medicine, 295(1), pp. 79-90. (doi: 10.1111/joim.13724)

Abstract

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an age-related disease that displays multiple features of accelerated ageing. It is currently unclear whether the two treatment options for end-stage kidney disease (dialysis and kidney transplantation [KT]) ameliorate the accelerated uremic ageing process. Methods: Data on clinical variables and blood DNA methylation (DNAm) from CKD stage G3–G5 patients were used to estimate biological age based on blood biomarkers (phenotypic age [PA], n = 333), skin autofluorescence (SAF age, n = 199) and DNAm (Horvath, Hannum and PhenoAge clocks, n = 47). In the DNAm cohort, we also measured the change in biological age 1 year after the KT or initiation of dialysis. Healthy subjects recruited from the general population were included as controls. Results: All three DNAm clocks indicated an increased biological age in CKD G5. However, PA and SAF age tended to produce implausibly large estimates of biological age in CKD G5. By contrast, DNAm age was 4.9 years (p = 0.005) higher in the transplantation group and 5.9 years (p = 0.001) higher in the dialysis group compared to controls. This age acceleration was significantly reduced 1 year after KT, but not after 1 year of dialysis. Conclusions: Kidney failure patients displayed an increased biological age as estimated by DNAm clocks compared to population-based controls. Our results suggest that KT, but not dialysis, partially reduces the age acceleration.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Neytchev, Ognian and Selman, Professor Colin and Shiels, Professor Paul
• Authors: Neytchev, O., Erlandsson, H., Witasp, A., Nordfors, L., Qureshi, A. R., Iseri, K., Morohoshi, H., Selman, C., Ebert, T., Kublickiene, K., Stenvinkel, P., and Shiels, P. G.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Molecular Biosciences
• Journal Name: Journal of Internal Medicine
• Publisher: Wiley
• ISSN: 0954-6820
• ISSN (Online): 1365-2796
• Published Online: 12 October 2023
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2023 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Journal of Internal Medicine 295(1):79-90
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons license