Clinical factors associated with advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) levels evaluated by skin autofluorescence of schoolchildren in Japan

Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) formed by non-enzymatic glycation reactions between sugars and proteins have been implicated in various age-related disorders. Skin autofluorescence (SAF) is a noninvasive method for estimating the accumulated AGEs levels in the human body. However, the SAF values in healthy children have not yet been reported. This study aimed to determine reference values and factors affecting SAF values in apparently healthy schoolchildren. The study included 426 children (aged 8.9 ± 1.7 yr), including 224 boys and 202 girls from one public elementary school. SAF values were measured using an AGE reader. Data on the perinatal history, eating and exercise habits, lifestyle, family background, and medical history of the participants and their family medical history were collected using a questionnaire. The mean SAF value of the participants was 1.06 ± 0.19 AU, lower than that of healthy adults, and did not increase with calendar age. Moreover, a family history of diabetes within second-degree relatives was the sole significant factor associated with SAF values (p = 0.045), and it exhibited no association with life environmental factors. In conclusion, genetically defined susceptibility to glycation may be the most important factor in AGE accumulation in schoolchildren.