Normative Data of Beta-2-Microglobulin and Plasma Proteins from an Agrarian Indian Community By a Door-to-Door Survey: Results of Simple (IMAGe-002B) Study

Introduction: Most diagnostic laboratories in India follow the reference intervals given in Western literature whose Caucasian reference population is entirely different from the Indian ethnic population (viz., dietary habits, lifestyle, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and environmental factors).

Objectives: To collate normative data of beta-2-microglobulin (β2M) and plasma proteins from an otherwise healthy population from an agrarian Indian Community. The secondary objectives were to evaluate the correlation of β2M levels with age, gender, and BMI of these individuals.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in an agrarian village in India with a 24.76Km perimeter and 4588.3 hectares with an 89.2% population coverage for adults (>45y) spending 12096 man-hours. This was a part of SIMPLe (Screening Intervention for Myeloma and Prevention of Lifestyle diseases) study registered vide CTRI/2023/03/051220 after obtaining informed consent. Demographic details, medical history, and blood samples were collected after a thorough medical examination to ascertain the normal health status of the study participants. Hemogram, biochemistry (Liver and renal function tests), β2M, and serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP) were performed in all individuals. Only individuals with normal renal and liver function tests were included in the final analysis. Bivariate analysis (Fit Y by X) was done to study the correlations. Any p value < 0.05 was considered significant. The data was analyzed using JMP ver. 16.0.0.

Results: A total of 850 individuals were included in this community-based door-to-door survey. The mean age of the study population was 57.6±10.5y, with a slight female predominance (56.3%). The distribution of β2M and various plasma proteins is mentioned in Table 1. The β2M significantly differed between males and females (χ 2-8.58; dF-1; p-0.0034). On bivariate analysis, β2M was significantly associated with age (correlation coefficient: 0.31; p<0.0001), and BMI (correlation coefficient -0.07; p-0.023).

Conclusion: The data obtained from our studies would act as the first step in collating normative data for β2M and plasma proteins from Indian community.