Ranges for Reticulocyte Fractions and Reticulocyte Hemoglobin of Mongolian Donors

Objectives: The goal of this study was to determine the performance of reticulocyte fractions and reticulocyte hemoglobin for early detection of iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia among Mongolian blood donors. Methods: Blood samples were collected before and after blood donations and analyzed using a Sysmex XN- 2000 analyzer. Iron levels (Umol/L) and Ferritin levels (µmol/L) were measured using a COBAS E601 (ROCHE, Japan). Results: Anemia was diagnosed in 3.2% all of the donors. In donors with anemia the results were: HGB 10.6±0.6 g/dl, serum ferritin 5.5 (4; 9) µmol, serum iron 5.7 (4; 7) µmol and Ret-He 26.5 (23; 28) pg. The mean value of reticulocyte was 1.2±0.3 and 1.1±0.3 within a reference range of 0.5-2%. The mean values of IRF before and after blood donations were 6.3±2.6 and 5.9±2.7 respectively with range of 1.1 - 15.9%. There were no clear differences in reticulocyte count and its fractions among donors before and after blood donation. The mean Ret-He was 32.1+1.7 pg before blood donation; 31.2+2.2 pg 28 days after donation and 31.7+ 1.6 pg within 2-3 months after the first blood donation. There are significant differences in RET-He between the before and after blood donations. Conclusion: IRF and Ret-He are very useful parameters for estimating hematopoiesis, monitoring for iron treatment and early detection of iron deficiency

Relationship of Human Personal Characteristics in the three Independent Stratification Systems

Objectives: We aimed to analyze theassociation between the biophysiological characteristics of body constitution and temperament type with Mongolian Traditional Medicine (MTM) constitution type to understand further and integrate the application of these stratification systems in clinical medicine. Methods: Body constitution type was classified using the body-mass index, temperament type was determined using personality test, and dominant MTM constitution type was determined in 287 active blood donors. Age, gender, and ABO blood groups were considered as additional biophysiological characteristics. The correlation between the biophysiological characteristics and the nature of their relationship was investigated using likelihood ratio and receiver operating characteristics analysis. Results: Obesity and body-mass index were related to aging, and donor’s age and Badgan expression rate were shown as a sensitive and specific classifier for obesity state. The relationship between Badgan dominant types of human constitutions practiced in Mongolian Traditional Medicine and melancholic temperament was established. Badgan expression was a sensitive and specific classifier for melancholic and phlegmatic temperament. Conclusions: Stratification of human subjects using the primary types of human constitutions practiced in Mongolian Traditional Medicine may be helpful in clinical research and application

Sensitivity and specificity of commercially available rapid diagnostic tests for viral hepatitis B and C screening in serum samples.

Early diagnosis of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections is pivotal for optimal disease management. Sensitivity and specificity of 19 rapid diagnostic test (RDT) kits by different manufacturers (ABON, CTK Biotech, Cypress Diagnostics, Green Gross, Human Diagnostic, Humasis, InTec, OraSure, SD Bioline, Wondfo) were assessed on serum samples of 270 Mongolians (90 seropositive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), 90 seropositive for hepatitis C antibody (HCV-Ab), 90 healthy subjects). All tested RDTs for detection of HBsAg performed with average sensitivities and specificities of 100% and 99%, respectively. Albeit, overall sensitivity and specificity of RDTs for detection of HCV-Ab was somewhat lower compared to that of HBsAg RDTs (average sensitivity 98.9%, average specificity 96.7%). Specificity of RDTs for detection of HCV-Ab was dramatically lower among HBsAg positive individuals, who were 10.2 times more likely to show false positive test results. The results of our prospective study demonstrate that inexpensive, easy to handle RDTs are a promising tool in effective HBV- and HCV-screening especially in resource-limited settings