Serum amyloid A is independently related to apolipoprotein A-I but not to HDL-cholesterol in patients with angina pectoris.

Background: Inflammation processes are considered important links between classical lipid risk factors and the progression of atherosclerosis. The interrelationship of high density lipoproteins (HDL) and apolipoprotein apoA-1 with acute phase proteins and cytokines was examined in a clinical setting of patients with angina pectoris.

Methods: On exclusion criteria (myocardial infarction, heart failure, CHD>2 years, anticoagulant therapy), 198 patients were recruited and were subdivided according to angiographically documented stenosis, no stenosis vs.

A position paper of the EFLM Committee on Education and Training and Working Group on Distance Education Programmes/E-Learning: developing an e-learning platform for the education of stakeholders in laboratory medicine.

The progress of information and communication technologies has strongly influenced changes in healthcare and laboratory medicine. E-learning, the learning or teaching through electronic means, contributes to the effective knowledge translation in medicine and healthcare, which is an essential element of a modern healthcare system and for the improvement of patient care. E-learning also represents a great vector for the transfer knowledge into laboratory practice, stimulate multidisciplinary interactions, enhance continuing professional development and promote laboratory medicine.

Management of familial hypercholesterolemia in children and young adults: consensus paper developed by a panel of lipidologists, cardiologists, paediatricians, nutritionists, gastroenterologists, general practitioners and a patient organization.

Unlabelled: Since heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) is a disease that exposes the individual from birth onwards to severe hypercholesterolemia with the development of early cardiovascular disease, a clear consensus on the management of this disease in young patients is necessary. In Belgium, a panel of paediatricians, specialists in (adult) lipid management, general practitioners and representatives of the FH patient organization agreed on the following common recommendations. 1.

The European Register of Specialists in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine: Code of Conduct, Version 2--2008.

In 1997, the European Communities Confederation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EC4) set up a Register for European Specialists in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine. The operation of the Register is undertaken by a Register Commission (EC4RC). During the last 10 years, more than 2000 specialists in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine have joined the Register.

Femoral plaques confound the association of circulating oxidized low-density lipoprotein with carotid atherosclerosis in a general population aged 35 to 55 years: the Asklepios Study.

Objective: Reported associations of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) with noninvasive measures of atherosclerosis are inconsistent. In the Asklepios Study cohort of asymptomatic subjects aged 35 to 55 years, we evaluated the relationship of circulating oxLDL with subclinical atherosclerosis in the carotid and femoral arteries.

Methods And Results: Participants (n=2524, 51.

Accreditation of medical laboratories in the European Union.

Background: Using a questionnaire, the EC4 (European Communities Confederation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine) has collated an inventory of the accreditation procedures for medical laboratories in the EU.

Results And Discussion: Accreditation of medical laboratories in the countries of the EU is mostly carried out in cooperation with national accreditation bodies. These national accreditation bodies work together in a regional cooperation, the European Cooperation for Accreditation (EA).

Historical milestones in measurement of HDL-cholesterol: impact on clinical and laboratory practice.

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) comprises a family of particles with differing physicochemical characteristics. Continuing progress in improving HDL-C analysis has originated from two separate fields-one clinical, reflecting increased attention to HDL-C in estimating risk for coronary heart disease (CHD), and the other analytical, reflecting increased emphasis on finding more reliable and cost-effective HDL-C assays. Epidemiologic and prospective studies established the inverse association of HDL-C with CHD risk, a relationship that is consistent with protective mechanisms demonstrated in basic research and animal studies.

EC4 European Syllabus for Post-Graduate Training in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine: version 3 - 2005.

The EC4 Syllabus for Postgraduate Training is the basis for the European Register of Specialists in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine. The syllabus: Indicates the level of requirements in postgraduate training to harmonise the postgraduate education in the European Union (EU); Indicates the level of content of national training programmes to obtain adequate knowledge and experience; Is approved by all EU societies for clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine. The syllabus is not primarily meant to be a training guide, but on the basis of the overview given (common minimal programme), national societies should formulate programmes that indicate where knowledge and experience is needed.

Discrepancy between sperm acrosin activity and sperm morphology: significance for fertilization in vitro.

Background: In routine semen analysis, discrepancies may occur between sperm acrosin activity test results and sperm acrosomal morphology.

Methods: Discrepant test results of sperm acrosin activity (spectrophotometric assay) vs. sperm morphology (strict criteria) in the initial diagnostic investigation of 107 infertile couples were evaluated with respect to fertilization rate (% oocytes with 2 pronuclei) further obtained in IVF treatment.

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein, iron stores, and haptoglobin polymorphism.

Background: In vitro experimental studies demonstrated that iron promotes free radical-induced low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that circulating oxidized LDL (oxLDL) levels might be associated with body iron stores (serum ferritin) and iron-related genetic markers (hemochromatosis gene C282Y mutation, haptoglobin polymorphism).

Methods: We investigated 381 (176 males, 205 females, age 45 +/- 6 years) healthy Caucasians.

The European Register for Specialists in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine: Code of Conduct.

The European Communities Confederation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EC4) opened a Register for European Specialists in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine in 1997. The operation of the Register is undertaken by a Register Committee (EC4RC). During the last 6 years more than 1500 specialists in clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine have joined the Register.

Serum zinc in healthy Belgian children.

Many reports mention marginal zinc status in childhood. Information on serum zinc (Zn) in Belgian children since the last reports are old and feeding habits are changing. Four hundred fifty-seven healthy children (0-14 yr, 262 boys) had a venipuncture after an overnight fast during a vaccination campaign.

Serum uric acid in hypertensive patients with and without peripheral arterial disease.

Background: Uric acid is frequently elevated in hypertension. In addition to renal and metabolic disturbances, lower limb ischemia might contribute to hyperuricemia among hypertensives complicated by peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

Objective: To test the hypothesis that uric acid status is related to lower limb function in hypertensives with PAD.

The European Register for Specialists in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine: guide to the Register Version 2-2003 and procedure for re-registration.

The European Communities Confederation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EC4) opened a Register for European Chemists in 1997. The operation of the Register is undertaken by a Register Committee (EC4RC). During the last 5 years more than 1,400 clinical chemists entered the register.

The management of clinical laboratories in Europe: a FESCC survey. Forum of the European Societies of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine.

The professional duties of the specialists in clinical chemistry differ from country to country in Europe. One of the main goals of the Strategic Plan of the Forum of the European Societies of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (FESCC; IFCC-Europe) is to promote a high scientific and professional standard in the field of clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine in Europe. This can be stimulated by the knowledge of the local conditions in each country and by striving towards a strong and harmonised position in all the European countries.

The practice of clinical chemistry in the European Union.

The European Communities Confederation of Clinical Chemistry has been actively engaged in raising the level of clinical chemistry in the European Union. Closer contacts between the national societies for clinical chemistry have resulted in more comparable programs for postgraduate training of clinical chemists, closer similarity of contents and practice of the profession in the different countries, and the official registration of professionals. This article reviews some of the characteristics of professional organisation, practice, and regulation in the fifteen European Union countries.

Accreditation and postgraduate training in European countries: an FESCC survey. Federation of European Societies of Clinical Chemistry.

The mission of the Federation of European Societies of Clinical Chemistry is to support and promote clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine in Europe, to aid communication between the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) and National Scientific Societies, to develop education and quality in the discipline, and to encourage young scientists to take an active role in these activities. One recent initiative of the Federation was a survey on accreditation of medical laboratories and training in laboratory medicine in Europe. Among European countries, three promote accreditation according to EN 45001, several countries apply systems based on professional and nationally defined standards (e.