Plasma beta-2 microglobulin as a marker of frailty in older adults: a pilot study.

摘要

THE first step of any efficient geriatric care relies on the early identification of frail older adults (1,2). The screening for frailty is yet limited by its difficulty of implementation in clinical practice in part due to the time consumption of standard validated tools such as the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures index (1-4). An easily accessible blood test could simplify the systematic assessment of frailty in daily practice (5,6). For instance, plasma beta-2 microglobulin (beta2M) concentration-a light chain of MCH-1 antigen that dissociates from nucleated cells membrane under various stimuli-has been established as a nonspecific biological marker of disease activity in malignancies (multiple myeloma), chronic renal dysfunction, autoimmune affections, and various infections (7-10). Thus, an increase in plasma p2M concentration reflects declines across multiple physiologic systems and may account for the frailty phenotype among older adults. The aim of this pilot study was to examine the association between the frailty phenotype assessed with the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures index (4) and elevated plasma beta2M concentrations (ie, >2.5 mug/mL) among geriatric inpatients while taking potential confounders into account.