Prevalence of biotin supplement usage in outpatients and plasma biotin concentrations in patients presenting to the emergency department.

Background: Several cases of biotin interference with laboratory testing have been reported in the literature. However, there are no publications discussing the extent of biotin use or plasma concentrations observed among the patient population. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of biotin consumption using two distinct methods: surveying the outpatient population using a questionnaire and quantifying biotin in plasma samples collected from patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED).

Effects of Rifaximin on Transit, Permeability, Fecal Microbiome, and Organic Acid Excretion in Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Objectives: Rifaximin relieves irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms, bloating, abdominal pain, and loose or watery stools. Our objective was to investigate digestive functions in rifaximin-treated IBS patients.

Methods: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study, we compared the effects of rifaximin, 550 mg t.

Analytical and clinical validation of an LC-MS/MS method for urine leukotriene E4: A marker of systemic mastocytosis.

Objectives: Systemic mastocytosis (SM) is a disorder characterized by the excessive accumulation of clonally derived mast cells in various tissues. When triggered, mast cells release large amounts of histamine, prostaglandins and leukotrienes. Leukotriene E4 (LTE4) is the primary stable metabolite of total cysteinyl leukotrienes.

Validation of a proposed novel equation for estimating LDL cholesterol.

Background: Aggressive LDL cholesterol (LDL-C)-lowering strategies are recommended for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events. A newly derived equation for LDL-C estimation was recently published that addressed limitations in the commonly used Friedewald LDL-C calculation method. The novel method was reported to classify patients with superior concordance to measured LDL-C compared to the Friedewald method, particularly in patients with LDL-C <70 mg/dL.