Life Extension® believes that chronic inflammation is a common denominator of all age-related diseases. Uncontrolled systemic inflammation increases risk of many degenerative diseases and cardiovascular concerns like heart disease and stroke. This panel is the best way to monitor systemic inflammation concerns with both well-established and new cutting-edge inflammatory biomarkers.

GlycA

GlycA (also known as glycosylated acetyls or glycoprotein acetyls) is a new biomarker of systemic inflammation reflecting the combination of various proteins that rise during inflammatory response. Instead of measuring just one biomarker, GlycA is a composite value of several different inflammatory markers (i.e. fibrinogen, AAT, CRP, AGP, haptoglobin [see image below]) which increases its effectiveness as a top level infammatory indicator.

GlycA has been associated with cardiovascular disease risk and cardiac event recurrence, as other inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. It has also shown utility in evaluation of respiratory diseases, pancreatitis, diabetes risk*, and more.

Galectin-3

Galectin-3 is a critical signaling molecule involved with cellular growth and cell-to-cell communication. However, galectin-3 also initiates and amplifies inflammatory responses, and when left unchecked, encourages cells to aggregate and bind to surrounding tissues resulting in chronic inflammation.

C-Reactive Protein (High Sensitivity) (CRP)

CRP is a classic key marker of systemic and cardiovascular inflammation and has been associated with Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and other inflammatory concerns.

ANA (antinuclear antibodies)

ANA reflects the immune system’s attack on the body’s own cells. This is a primary test to help evaluate a person for autoimmune diseases. ANA is the best way to screen for autoimmune inflammation concerns. This test is performed using the indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). When antibodies are detected, this test provides both the antibody concentration as well as the antibody pattern, helping assess the severity of antibody response and differentiate different autoimmune concerns.

NOTE

*This test does not reflect glycosylated/glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and does not provide information on glucose management. The HbA1c test is available here: LC001453

The following figure helps visualize how a GlycA measurement reflects the composite of various acute phase reactants:

Ballout RA, Remaley AT. GlycA: A New Biomarker for Systemic Inflammation and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Risk Assessment. J Lab Precis Med. 2020 Apr;5:17. doi: 10.21037/jlpm.2020.03.03. Epub 2020 Apr 20. PMID: 32363327; PMCID: PMC7194207.

Figure 1: A simplified illustration showing how the GlycA ‘peak’ on 1H-NMR relates to systemic inflammation.

In the setting of inflammation, irrespective of the trigger, macrophages are recruited to the site of inflammation where they secrete a variety of cytokines, namely IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-alpha. These cytokines act locally to induce an inflammatory response aimed at removing the insulting trigger and promoting subsequent tissue recovery. However, some of these cytokines also enter the systemic circulation and reach the liver, where they induce an increased production and secretion of several so-called acute phase reactants, as well as various glycosylation-mediating enzymes, known as glycosyltransferases, which alter the glycosylation patterns of the latter acute phase reactants. The acute phase reactants themselves, and their glycosyltransferase-modified derivatives (denoted by * in the figure) contribute to the GlycA peak seen on the 1H-NMR analyzer (AAT: alpha-1-antitrypsin; AGP: alpha-1-acid glycoprotein; CRP: C-reactive peptide)