MOTS-c · research summary

AGEs-RAGE Axis and Mitochondrial-Derived Peptides in Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease: Interconnected Pathways Beyond Inflammation and Nutrition.

Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026. Summary drawn from the study's full text. Each statement is followed by the exact sentence it comes from. This is a research summary, not medical advice.

Study type

Observational cross-sectional study
“Accordingly, this work should be considered an observational cross-sectional study.”

Subjects

Adults with CKD stage 5 undergoing living-donor kidney transplantation and community-dwelling controls
“Serum AGEs, soluble RAGE isoforms, and MDPs were measured by ELISA in 160 adults with kidney failure undergoing living-donor kidney transplantation and in 80 controls,”

Sample size

160 CKD patients and 80 controls
“Serum AGEs, soluble RAGE isoforms, and MDPs were measured by ELISA in 160 adults with kidney failure undergoing living-donor kidney transplantation and in 80 controls,”

Duration

Single time point (baseline)
“In addition, biomarkers were assessed at a single time point, which may not capture biological variability over time, and data on dietary AGE intake, which may have a potential influence on circulating AGE concentrations, were not available.”

Reported findings

CKD patients had higher AGEs and esRAGE, lower AGEs/sRAGE ratios, and reduced MDPs compared to controls
“CKD patients showed higher AGEs and esRAGE, lower AGEs/sRAGE ratios, and reduced MDPs.”
Humanin (HN) was independently associated with AGEs, sRAGE, and the AGEs/sRAGE ratio
“In multivariable analyses, HN remained independently associated with AGEs, sRAGE, and the AGEs/sRAGE ratio, whereas MOTS-c showed an inverse association with the AGEs/sRAGE ratio.”
CRP was independently associated with the AGEs/sRAGE ratio
“CRP was associated with the AGEs/sRAGE ratio while PEW showed no associations with AGEs–RAGE components or MDP.”

Limitations stated by the authors

Cross-sectional design, selected cohort, older control group, single time point, and total AGE measurement
“First, the study cohort represents a highly selected subgroup of CKD-5 patients eligible for LD-KTx; therefore, the findings may not be generalizable to older patients, those on long-term dialysis, or patients with multiple comorbidities, and may not reflect the broader CKD population.”

Source: PubMed 42650220 · DOI 10.3390/antiox15080956 · all study summaries

Reported findings

CKD patients had higher AGEs and esRAGE, lower AGEs/sRAGE ratios, and reduced MDPs compared to controls

“CKD patients showed higher AGEs and esRAGE, lower AGEs/sRAGE ratios, and reduced MDPs.”

Humanin (HN) was independently associated with AGEs, sRAGE, and the AGEs/sRAGE ratio

“In multivariable analyses, HN remained independently associated with AGEs, sRAGE, and the AGEs/sRAGE ratio, whereas MOTS-c showed an inverse association with the AGEs/sRAGE ratio.”

CRP was independently associated with the AGEs/sRAGE ratio

“CRP was associated with the AGEs/sRAGE ratio while PEW showed no associations with AGEs–RAGE components or MDP.”

Limitations stated by the authors

Cross-sectional design, selected cohort, older control group, single time point, and total AGE measurement

“First, the study cohort represents a highly selected subgroup of CKD-5 patients eligible for LD-KTx; therefore, the findings may not be generalizable to older patients, those on long-term dialysis, or patients with multiple comorbidities, and may not reflect the broader CKD population.”