Elevated Serum Levels of Lp-PLA2 and IL-18 are Associated with Progression of Diabetic Foot Ulcers.

ola Kala shared this article with you from Inoreader Elevated Serum Levels of Lp-PLA2 and IL-18 are Associated with Progression of Diabetic Foot Ulcers. Μέσω pubmed: "clin lab"[jour] Elevated Serum Levels of Lp-PLA2 and IL-18 are Associated with Progression of Diabetic Foot Ulcers. Clin Lab. 2020 Oct 01;66(10): Authors: Chen T, Yu J, Wang J, Chang Q, Qian C Abstract BACKGROUND: Diabetic foot (DF) is a common complication of diabetes with insidious onset, making it difficult for patients to receive timely diagnosis and treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the change in lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) in the serum of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) pa-tients with and without DF, thereby assessing the association between progression of DF and levels of Lp-PLA2 together with IL-18. METHODS: In this study, 50 patients with diabetes without foot ulcers (group I, T2DM group), 135 patients with diabetes with foot ulcers (group II, DF group), and 30 matched healthy controls (group III) were enrolled. Fasting venous blood was collected for detection of inflammatory markers including Lp-PLA2, IL-18, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), fibrinogen (FIB), C-reactive protein (CRP), and WBC and neutrophil percentage (Neu%). Baseline indicators such as glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were tested simultaneously. RESULTS: The serum levels of Lp-PLA2 and IL-18 increased significantly with T2DM progression and were positively associated with severity of T2DM, with the highest concentrations identified in patients with Wagner grade 4 ulcers (p < 0.05). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, diabetes course, Lp-PLA2, IL-18, FIB, CRP, and WBC and Neu% were risk factors for DF. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that Lp-PLA2, IL-18, FIB, and CRP were independent risk factors for DF. CONCLUSIONS: Increased serum levels of Lp-PLA2 and IL-18 were positively associated with the progression of DF disease. Detection of Lp-PLA2 and IL-18 can assist clinicians' assessment of the severity of DF. Dynamic detection can also help understand disease progression and treatment efficacy. PMID: 33073951 [PubMed - in process] View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Multiple-Locus Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Analysis Genotyping of Brucella Isolates from Iran.

ola Kala shared this article with you from Inoreader Multiple-Locus Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Analysis Genotyping of Brucella Isolates from Iran. Μέσω pubmed: "clin lab"[jour] Multiple-Locus Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Analysis Genotyping of Brucella Isolates from Iran. Clin Lab. 2020 Oct 01;66(10): Authors: Moradkasani S, Jazi FM, Sadeghifard N, Kouhsari E, Kalani BS, Pakzad I Abstract BACKGROUND: Brucellosis is considered a main health concern in humans and animals. Neither familiar molecular methods nor the classical biotyping techniques are acceptable for subtyping Brucella spp. Loci containing variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs) have recently demonstrated their practicality in typing isolates from human and animal origin despite the excessive genetic homogeneity in the genus Brucella. METHODS: The genotypic characteristics of sixty-six Brucella melitensis and thirty-four Brucella abortus isolates from veterinary samples and human brucellosis cases in Iran during 2014 - 2018. They were analyzed using multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) which consisted of sixteen primer pairs and designed and classified as belonging to one of the three panels: panel 1 (MLVA-8: eight loci including Bruce06, Bruce08, Bruce11, Bruce12, Bruce42, Bruce43, Bruce45, and Bruce55), panel 2A (three loci including Bruce18, Bruce19, and Bruce21), and panel 2B (five loci including Bruce04, Bruce07, Bruce09, Bruce16, and Bruce30); MLVA-11 (panels 1 and 2A), and MLVA-16 (panels 1, 2A, and 2B) using BioNumerics software (Version 7.6). RESULTS: Using panel 1, 2A, and 2B (MLVA-16), 59 genotypes with a genetic similarity coefficient ranging from 91 to 100% were obtained from the 100 Brucella spp. isolates. For all isolates, only genotype 36 and genotype 26 were obtained using panels 1 and 2A, respectively. The B. abortus isolates showed variations at 9 different genotypes, while B. melitensis isolates have been dispersed in 50 different genotypes. Bruce16 and Bruce4 showed the highest discriminatory power. CONCLUSIONS: The MLVA-16 assay appeared to be a useful and important molecular genotyping tool that is capable of proving epidemiological linkages in outbreak and trace-back investigations and is helpful in improving the effectiveness of brucellosis control programs. PMID: 33073952 [PubMed - in process] View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Diagnostic Characteristics of 3-Parameter and 2-Parameter Equations for the Calculation of a Combined Indicator of Vitamin B12 Status to Predict Cobalamin Deficiency in a Large Mixed Patient Population.

ola Kala shared this article with you from Inoreader Diagnostic Characteristics of 3-Parameter and 2-Parameter Equations for the Calculation of a Combined Indicator of Vitamin B12 Status to Predict Cobalamin Deficiency in a Large Mixed Patient Population. Μέσω pubmed: "clin lab"[jour] Diagnostic Characteristics of 3-Parameter and 2-Parameter Equations for the Calculation of a Combined Indicator of Vitamin B12 Status to Predict Cobalamin Deficiency in a Large Mixed Patient Population. Clin Lab. 2020 Oct 01;66(10): Authors: Campos AJ, Risch L, Nydegger U, Wiesner J, Dyck MVV, Seger C, Stanga Z, Renz H, Risch M Abstract BACKGROUND: A combined indicator for the determination of vitamin B12 status (4cB12) that employs four markers of vitamin B12 status (i.e., holotranscobalamin, HoloTC; vitamin B12, B12; methyl malonic acid, MMA; and homocysteine, Hcy) has been proposed for the comprehensive assessment of B12 status. We aimed to compare recently published 2- (2cB12) and 3-parameter (3cB12) cB12 equations missing one or two markers of B12 status with the established four-parameter cB12 (4cB12). METHODS: In 3,614 routine samples in which HoloTC, B12, MMA, Hcy and serum folate were measured, cB12 was assessed with 4cB12, as well as with four 3cB12 and six 2cB12 equations. Diagnostic accuracy (AUC) curves were calculated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis with the four-parameter equation (4cB12) as an index. Furthermore, we investigated whether calculating cB12 in addition to a 2-step algorithm employing the same parameters would add diagnostic value for the diagnosis of vitamin B12 deficiency. RESULTS: HoloTC showed the highest diagnostic accuracy among the single markers (AUC = 0.94). The cB12 equation using HoloTC and MMA (2cB12HoloTC/MMA) had the highest AUC among the 2-parameter equations (0.98). Among the 3-parameter equations, 3cB12HoloTC/MMA/Hcy and 3cB12HoloTC/B12/MMA revealed an AUC of 0.99, which was significantly higher than that of 2cB12HoloTC/MMA (p < 0.01). Calculating 2cB12HoloTC/MMA in addition to using a stepwise algorithm employing HoloTC and MMA for diagnosis of vitamin B12 deficiency increased the positive likelihood ratio from 12.1 to 42.6. CONCLUSIONS: cB12 calculated with two or three markers of B12 status provides a good approximation of the 4cB12 equation. A 2cB12 equation employing the same parameters improved diagnostic accuracy compared to the use of a 2-step diagnostic algorithm alone. Our results suggest, that laboratories should consider enriching their reports by additionally reporting a corresponding 2cB12 or 3cB12 to results obtained in stepwise diagnostic algorithms. PMID: 33073953 [PubMed - in process] View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Assessing the Accuracy of Different Glucometers Based on the Laboratory Reference Method.

ola Kala shared this article with you from Inoreader Assessing the Accuracy of Different Glucometers Based on the Laboratory Reference Method. Μέσω pubmed: "clin lab"[jour] Assessing the Accuracy of Different Glucometers Based on the Laboratory Reference Method. Clin Lab. 2020 Oct 01;66(10): Authors: Al-Zahrani A, Alshareef R, Farahat F, Borai A Abstract BACKGROUND: Self-monitoring of blood glucose using point-of-care glucometers is a critical tool in diabetic care. Recently, various glucometers have been developed. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of commonly used glucometers by comparing their readings with those of the laboratory reference method. METHODS: The five commercially available glucometers - Accu-Chek (Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Mannheim, Ger-many), OneTouch (LifeScan Inc, USA), Freestyle Optium Neo (Abbott Diabetes Care Inc, USA), Contour Next, and Contour Next One (Ascensia Diabetes Care Inc. Canada) - were utilized in our study. Participants were randomly selected for measuring fasting blood glucose levels to eliminate any factors that could affect measurements by the glucometers and glucose hexokinase method (reference method). Statistical analysis was carried out and the readings were expressed as mean and standard deviation. RESULTS: All glucometer readings correlated well with the laboratory measurements; however, the venous glucose level readings showed a slight difference, especially in case of higher blood glucose levels. Although, no significant difference was found between the mean venous blood glucose and the mean of other glucometer readings, a highly significant positive correlation was found between laboratory measurements and glucometer readings. Moreover, our study confirmed that Accu-Check, OneTouch, and FreeStyle Optium Neo meters were significantly useful predictors of venous blood glucose. Notably, Freestyle Optium Neo showed the minimal mean bias (-0.4%) in contrast to Contour Next One that showed the highest proportional bias (6.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Independent comparison of all glucometers should be carried out as the proportional bias, especially in case of high blood glucose levels, can affect patient care. PMID: 33073954 [PubMed - in process] View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Evaluation of Chromogenic Factor VIII Assay Compared with One-Stage Clotting Assay.

ola Kala shared this article with you from Inoreader Evaluation of Chromogenic Factor VIII Assay Compared with One-Stage Clotting Assay. Μέσω pubmed: "clin lab"[jour] Evaluation of Chromogenic Factor VIII Assay Compared with One-Stage Clotting Assay. Clin Lab. 2020 Oct 01;66(10): Authors: Akkaya E, Hatiboglu S, Koc B, Genc S, Unuvar A, Karaman S, Omer B, Karakas Z, Zulfikar B Abstract BACKGROUND: Congenital factor VIII (FVIII) deficiency causes hemophilia A due to different types of defects in the FVIII gene. Although the chromogenic measurement is the reference method and shows less variability, a one-stage assay is the most commonly preferred method for measurement of FVIII. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the analytical performances of chromogenic and one-stage assays, and compare the results prior to introduction of newly developed extended half-life recombinant FVIII products. METHODS: Sixty-six blood samples from residual material of Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Central Laboratory workflow comprised the study group. Samples were classified; plasma FVIII > 40 IU and FVIII < 40 IU. FVIII activities were measured using one-stage clotting and chromogenic assays on a CS-2500 analyzer. Analytical performances were determined through precision, linearity, carryover, and comparability studies. RESULTS: The within-run CV% of the one-stage assay on the CS-2500 had 1.6%, 2.6%, the between day CV% were 8.5%, 4.9 % for low and high controls, respectively. The within-run CV% of chromogenic method had 1.2% and 0.9%. Both methods demonstrated good linearity (R2 > 0.998), and the comparisons of both assays exhibited good agreement with minor bias for FVIII activity > 40 IU. However, a significant bias was obtained for FVIII activity < 40 IU. CONCLUSIONS: We obtained higher results using the one-stage assay compared with the chromogenic assay, and a significant bias was found for the samples lower than 40 IU. The discrepancy can explained by the presence of a weak agreement for samples lower than 10 IU due to the lower detection limit of the chromogenic assay used in this study (1.5%). PMID: 33073956 [PubMed - in process] View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

MiR-429 and MiR-143-3p Function as Diagnostic and Prognostic Markers for Osteosarcoma.

ola Kala shared this article with you from Inoreader MiR-429 and MiR-143-3p Function as Diagnostic and Prognostic Markers for Osteosarcoma. Μέσω pubmed: "clin lab"[jour] MiR-429 and MiR-143-3p Function as Diagnostic and Prognostic Markers for Osteosarcoma. Clin Lab. 2020 Oct 01;66(10): Authors: Yang L, Li H, Huang A Abstract BACKGROUND: Osteosarcoma (OS) is a highly malignant mesenchymal tumor with a low survival rate and a high metastatic rate. Recently, microRNAs were reported to be potential diagnostic and prognostic markers in various cancers, including osteosarcoma. The present study aimed to determine the clinical values of miR-429 and miR-143-3p in OS concerning diagnosis and prognosis. METHODS: miR-429 and miR-143-3p expression in serum samples from OS patients and matched healthy controls were measured by a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The association with miR-429 or miR-143-3p and clinicopathological features were compared by Student's t-test. The diagnostic and prognostic values of miR-429 and miR-143-3p in OS were verified by ROC analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival assays. RESULTS: MiR-429 expression (0.3234 ± 0.0224) and miR-143-3p expression (0.7463 ± 0.0282) were significantly down-regulated in the serum from OS patients. Moreover, low miR-429 expression was remarkably associated with tumor size (p < 0.001), clinical-stage (p < 0.001), and distant metastasis (p < 0.001); low miR-143-3p expression was remarkably associated with tumor size (p = 0.0020), clinical-stage (p < 0.001), and distant metastasis (p < 0.001). Importantly, the area under the curves (AUC) of miR-429 and miR-143-3p were 0.9222 (95% CI: 0.8714 - 0.9730) and 0.8300 (95% CI: 0.7484 - 0.9116), respectively. The cutoff values were 1.0692 and 0.9913 with the highest specificity and sensitivity. The OS patients with lower miR-429 or miR-143-3p expressions survived shorter than those with higher miR-429 or miR-143-3p expressions (p = 0.0409 and 0.0421). CONCLUSIONS: Serum miR-429 and miR-143-3p may function as diagnostic and prognostic markers for OS. PMID: 33073957 [PubMed - in process] View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Genetic Diversity of OXA-like Genes in Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Strains from ICUs.

ola Kala shared this article with you from Inoreader Genetic Diversity of OXA-like Genes in Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Strains from ICUs. Μέσω pubmed: "clin lab"[jour] Genetic Diversity of OXA-like Genes in Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Strains from ICUs. Clin Lab. 2020 Oct 01;66(10): Authors: Guclu AU, Gozen AG Abstract BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of OXA-51-like, OXA-23-like, OXA-24, and OXA-58-like genes and the role of β-lactamases in carbapenem resistance among multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strains recovered from patients in intensive care units (ICUs). METHODS: Non-duplicate clinical isolates of A. baumannii from ICUs that were identified as imipenem and meropenem resistant were collected. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were determined by PhoenixTM system (Becton Dickinson, USA). Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for imipenem and meropenem were determined by using gradient strip method (E-test) and interpreted according to CLSI. Presence of carbapenemase activity was determined by the modified Hodge test (MHT) and detection of metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) was performed by the double-disk synergy test (DDST) and MBL E-test. Detection of the four groups of OXA carbapenemase genes (OXA-23, OXA-24, OXA-51, and OXA-58) was carried out using a multiplex PCR assay. Sequencing of the products in both directions was performed by ABI 3130XL genetic analyzer (Life Technologies Corporation, CA, USA). The resulting DNA sequence was analyzed by the BLAST program, available at the NCBI website. RESULTS: Sixty-one non-duplicate, multidrug resistant clinical A. baumannii isolates were studied. MHTs were positive for all 61 A. baumannii strains, but none of them showed MBL activity. As determined through multiplex PCR, all of the 61 isolates had blaOXA-51 genes including blaOXA-64, blaOXA-66, and blaOXA-91, 50 isolates had blaOXA-23, and 11 isolates had blaOXA-58 genes. Alleles encoding OXA-24-like enzymes were not detected in any isolates. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that the major cause of carbapenem resistance in our region was OXA-type car-bapenemase encoded by blaOXA-51, blaOXA-23, and blaOXA-58 genes and as we know, this is the first report from Turkey identifying blaOXA-51-like sequences. PMID: 33073958 [PubMed - in process] View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.