LncRNA 51A: A promising diagnostic biomarker for assessing cognitive decline in occupationally exposed aluminum workers.

Objective: To assess the diagnostic utility of lncRNA 51 A in detecting cognitive decline among aluminum-exposed workers occupationally.

Methods: 921 male workers from an aluminum manufacturing facility underwent cognitive assessments, measurement of plasma aluminum levels and quantification of lncRNA 51 A levels. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to assess the diagnostic potential of lncRNA 51 A. Bayesian network model was utilized to predict the likelihood of cognitive decline among the study population.

Results: Significant differences in lncRNA 51 A levels, plasma aluminum concentration and MMSE scores were observed between cognitive normal and decline groups. The lncRNA 51 A expression was negatively correlated with MMSE scores. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.894, with 89.3 % sensitivity and 73.9 % specificity. The Bayesian network model indicated varying probabilities of cognitive decline based on lncRNA 51 A expression levels.

Conclusion: Plasma lncRNA 51 A shows potential as an excellent biomarker for cognitive decline diagnosis in aluminum-exposed workers.