Beta 2 microglobulin correlates with oxidative stress in elderly

Beta 2 microglobulin (B2M) is expressed in all nucleated cells, it interplays with mediators to regulate and modulate cellular functions. Its role in aging associated disorders has been documented recently. Oxidative stress has been known to play a direct implication on these disorders. Therefore, there is a rationality to explore the function of B2M in oxidative stress in elderly people. The aim of the study was to assess the B2M levels in different group of age, and to study the correlation between B2M and oxidative stress. Actually, the serum levels of B2M increased significantly in old people comparing to youngers. In addition, there was a positive correlation between B2M levels and the age of participants (p < 0.001). In addition, there was a positive correlation between B2M levels and Malondialdehyde (MDA) (p < 0.001), which underscored the possible role of B2M in oxidative stress. To confirm the previous result, the correlation between total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and B2M was assessed. There was a negative correlation between them (p < 0.001). These results suggested a possible role of B2M in oxidative stress status in elderly people; in addition, it suggested the ability of using B2M as a novel biomarker for oxidative stress. However, further work should be conducted to explore the exact role of B2M in oxidative stress, and to include large sample size to confirm the results before translating the findings to clinic.