Provision of laboratory services for lipid analysis in the United Kingdom.

Background: National guidelines have been developed in the UK to reduce coronary heart disease mortality. This audit assesses provision of lipid analyses by UK Clinical Biochemistry services to support their implementation.

Methods: Audit standards were derived from published guidelines.

Biochemical monitoring of treatment for galactosaemia: biological variability in metabolite concentrations.

Red cell galactose 1-phosphate (Gal-1-P) concentrations and urinary galactitol excretion have been suggested as biochemical indices of dietary compliance in classical transferase-deficient galactosaemia. We report our experience of measuring both in 32 patients over 0-10.9 years (median 3.

Congenital hypothyroidism, seasonality and consanguinity in the West Midlands, England.

Seasonal variation in the incidence of congenital hypothyroidism (CHT) is reported by some centres. Also, the incidence of CHT varies with ethnic origin. We report our experience in the West Midlands, England.

A comparison of disease and gene frequencies of inborn errors of metabolism among different ethnic groups in the West Midlands, UK.

Objective: To assess birth and gene frequencies of specific autosomal recessively inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) within different ethnic groups.

Design: Retrospective study in a regional centre for investigation and treatment of IEM.

Subjects: All children born within the West Midlands NHS Region, UK, during the decade immediately preceding the 1991 National Census.