Background: Down syndrome (DS) is a chromosomal disorder and a leading cause of intellectual and physical developmental delay in children. In Mongolia, there is no current national guideline recommending the use of the quadruple biomarker test for prenatal screening of DS. Instead, triple marker testing during the second trimester remains standard practice. However, the quadruple test offers higher specificity and sensitivity. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine gestational age specific normative values for the quadruple markers, adjusted for ethnic characteristics. Currently, multiple of the median (MoM) values for Mongolian women are calculated using reference medians derived from Caucasian populations. This study aims to establish population-specific reference values for Mongolian women. Objective: To determine the normative serum levels of second-trimester quadruple biomarkers — alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), free beta-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG), unconjugated estriol (uE3), and inhibin A (Inh-A) — in Mongolian pregnant women. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted involving pregnant women between 14 and 21 weeks of gestation. The concentrations of each biomarker were analyzed using multivariable quantile regression models, adjusting for gestational age and maternal weight. Results: MoM values calculated using the Mongolian model differed significantly from those based on the Caucasian model (Wilcoxon signed-rank test; p < 0.001). Specifically, the concentrations and MoM values for AFP and uE3 were significantly lower, while those for β-hCG and Inh-A were notably higher in the Mongolian cohort. Conclusion The serum levels of β-hCG and Inh-A were significantly elevated in Mongolian pregnant women compared to the ethnicity-adjusted Caucasian reference model, highlighting the importance of using population-specific normative data for accurate prenatal screening.

PURPOSE: To detect the testosterone deficiency syndrome in Mongolian men over 40 years old with erectile dysfunction (ED). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total of 309 males over 40 years of age who received medical care at the ADAM Urology and Andrology Clinic from 2010 to 2011 were included in this study. An approval from the Ethics Committee of the Ministry of Health of Mongolia was obtained, and each study participant signed a consent form at the beginning of the study. The participants were assigned to either an ED group or a control group, depending on the results of the international index of erectile function (IIEF)-5 questionnaire. The ED group was further divided into three groups (moderate, severe, and very severe) based on the level of ED. The total testosterone (TT) levels were determined in the blood serum using a competitive enzyme-linked immunesorbent assay (ELISA) analytical system UBI Magiwel(TM) Testosterone Quantitative test, and free testosterone (FT) calculated as described by the Vermeulen calculation. Test samples were collected between 8:00 and 11:00 am in the mornings and testosterone deficiency syndrome was diagnosed based on the International Society for the Study of the Aging Male guidelines, particularly, if TT was < or =3.46 ng/ml or free testosterone FT was < or =0.072 ng/ml. RESULTS: ED of moderate, severe, and very severe levels was diagnosed in 199 (64.41%) out of 309 participants. There was an inverse relationship between the main IIEF-5 score and age (r=-0.380, p<0.01). The average TT was 5.75+/-2.316 ng/ml and FT was 0.091+/-0.0084 ng/ml. Compared to the ED group, the control group had a higher TT level: 5.6440+/-1.177 ng/ml and 5.812+/-2.316 ng/ml, respectively. In the control group, the FT level was 0.061+/-0.0084 ng/ml, whereas it was 0.041+/-0.0076 ng/ml in the ED group. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that most of the aging males who came to the clinic had moderate to very severe ED (64.55%). The levels of TT (5.644+/-1.177 ng/ml) and FT (0.041+/-0.0036 ng/ml) were significantly lower in ED patients (p<0.05). The testosterone deficiency syndrome was detected in 24.27% of the ED group.
Aging ; Andrology ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Humans ; Male ; Mongolia ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Testosterone ; Urology