Correlation between the Cognitive Status (SIRT1) and the Metabolic Function in Geriatric Patients Using the Indonesian Version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-INA).

A growing life expectancy may result in a chronic medical condition and multimorbidity because the aging process leads to a decrease in cognitive and physiological function. These risks may affect the quality of life of geriatrics. The present study aims to determine the correlation between cognitive status (in terms of SIRT1, a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent class III deacetylase) and metabolic function (in terms of the lipid profile, kidney function, and blood glucose) in geriatric patients. The differences in the parameters of metabolic function in the participants' cognitive status were determined by using the Indonesian version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessments (MoCA-Ina). The elderly participants (n = 120) were recruited at three sites in Indonesia from March to October 2022. Our study demonstrated a negative correlation between the cognitive status of geriatric patients and their metabolic function, represented by the MoCA-Ina score with a linear regression equation of y = 0.27 - 2.4 ×10-3x. Higher levels of LDL-C, cystatin C, and HbA1c were found in the Severe-Moderate Cognitive Impairment group. Determining the SIRT1 levels may be beneficial in predicting both the cognitive and metabolic status of geriatrics because this protein is among numerous metabolic sensors in the hypothalamus.

Evaluation of the Elecsys(®) Anti-HCV II assay for routine hepatitis C virus screening of different Asian Pacific populations and detection of early infection.

BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is essential to allow appropriate treatment and prevent transmission. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the Elecsys(®) Anti-HCV II assay as a routine screening assay in Asia using a large number of samples from different Asian Pacific populations and compare its performance with other HCV assays routinely used in the region. STUDY DESIGN: The sensitivity and specificity of the Elecsys(®) Anti-HCV II assay were determined using routine hospital samples and compared with at least one of the following comparator assays at nine independent centers: ARCHITECT™ Anti-HCV; Serodia(®)-HCV Particle Agglutination; Vitros(®) ECi Anti-HCV; Elecsys(®) Anti-HCV; ADVIA Centaur(®) HCV; InTec(®) HCV EIA; or Livzon(®) Anti-HCV. Commercially available seroconversion panels were used to assess sensitivity for early detection of infection. RESULTS: The Elecsys(®) Anti-HCV II assay was more sensitive in recognizing early infection and detected acute HCV infection earlier on average than the comparator assays for all six panels tested. 7,726 routine samples were tested and 322 identified as HCV positive. Elecsys(®) Anti-HCV II had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 99.66%, both of which were comparable or superior to the results obtained for competitor assays, which ranged from 87.5-100% and 98.98-100%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The Elecsys(®) Anti-HCV II assay has the sensitivity and specificity to support its use as a routine screening method in the Asia Pacific region. Furthermore, this assay shortens the diagnostic window between infection and the detection of antibodies compared with established methods.

The Asian project for collaborative derivation of reference intervals: (1) strategy and major results of standardized analytes.

BACKGROUND: A multicenter study conducted in Southeast Asia to derive reference intervals (RIs) for 72 commonly measured analytes (general chemistry, inflammatory markers, hormones, etc.) featured centralized measurement to clearly detect regionality in test results. The results of 31 standardized analytes are reported, with the remaining analytes presented in the next report. METHOD: The study included 63 clinical laboratories from South Korea, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and seven areas in Japan. A total of 3541 healthy individuals aged 20-65 years (Japan 2082, others 1459) were recruited mostly from hospital workers using a well-defined common protocol. All serum specimens were transported to Tokyo at -80°C and collectively measured using reagents from four manufacturers. Three-level nested ANOVA was used to quantitate variation (SD) of test results due to region, sex, and age. A ratio of SD for a given factor over residual SD (representing net between-individual variations) (SDR) exceeding 0.3 was considered significant. Traceability of RIs was ensured by recalibration using value-assigned reference materials. RIs were derived parametrically. RESULTS: SDRs for sex and age were significant for 19 and 16 analytes, respectively. Regional difference was significant for 11 analytes, including high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and inflammatory markers. However, when the data were limited to those from Japan, regionality was not observed in any of the analytes. Accordingly, RIs were derived with or without partition by sex and region. CONCLUSIONS: RIs applicable to a wide area in Asia were established for the majority of analytes with traceability to reference measuring systems, whereas regional partitioning was required for RIs of the other analytes.

Sources of variation of commonly measured serum analytes in 6 Asian cities and consideration of common reference intervals.

BACKGROUND: In a previous study to determine the feasibility of common reference intervals in Asia, we found significant differences among populations from 6 cities. In this study, we attempted to define the sources of these differences. METHODS: We enrolled 580 healthy volunteers (279 men, 301 women, 20-62 years old), after a selection process that was based on the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines, and used a lifestyle questionnaire. All sera were obtained at a basal state and frozen at -80 degrees C until the collective assay was done. We measured 21 basic chemical analytes and 10 serum proteins. RESULTS: We used 3-level nested ANOVA to separate the variation (SD) into between-city (SD-city), between-sex (SD-sex), between-age (SD-age), and between-individual (SD-indiv) components. SD-indiv corresponds to one-quarter of the "pure" reference interval obtained after removing variations due to city, sex, and age. The SD-sex to SD-indiv ratio was >0.8 for creatinine, urate, retinol-binding protein, and transthyretin. We observed high SD-city to SD-indiv ratios, ranging from 0.4 to 0.7, for 11 analytes including lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), electrolytes, IgG, and complement components and SD-age to SD-indiv ratios >0.4 for LDH, alkaline phosphatase, and total cholesterol. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated several other relevant sources of variation, including body mass index, alcohol consumption, and cigarette smoking, although their contributions were generally smaller than those for sex, region, or age. CONCLUSION: We observed unacceptably large regional differences in measured values of some analytes even after adjustment for age, sex, and lifestyle variables. Genetic and environmental factors may account for the residual differences.