Inverse association between serum klotho levels and C-reactive protein levels in the US population: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundThe inverse relationship between serum Klotho levels and systemic inflammation, particularly C-reactive protein (CRP), has been suggested in limited studies. However, the association within a large and diverse population remains underexplored.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to investigate the association between serum Klotho levels and CRP among a nationally representative sample of the US population. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to assess this relationship while adjusting for relevant covariates. Stratified analysis with interaction, restricted cubic splines (RCS) were employed to support the research objectives.ResultsA total of 5901 participants had a mean age of 57.9 ± 11.0 years, with 49.4% of them being male and 50.6% of them being female. A negative association between serum Klotho and CRP was revealed in the fully adjusted model (β -0.26; 95% CI -0.41∼-0.11). When serum Klotho was taken as quartiles with Q1 as reference, the adjusted β that were lowest in Q4 were − 0.1 (95% CI -0.16∼-0.04, p-value = 0.002) in model 4, respectively. These statistics were robust in stratified analyses.ConclusionWhile our study demonstrates an inverse association between serum Klotho levels and CRP, suggesting a potential cardioprotective role of Klotho, it is important to note that our cross-sectional design does not permit the establishment of causality. Therefore, we cannot definitively conclude that increasing Klotho levels will directly reduce cardiovascular risk. Our findings do, however, highlight the need for further research to explore the potential of Klotho as a therapeutic target for cardiovascular health.