Evaluation of three commercially available ELISA kits for the determination of chromogranin A.

Chromogranin A (CgA) is currently the most valuable tumor biomarker for diagnostic work-up, management and follow-up of neuro-endocrine tumors (NET). The aim of our study was to compare three different commercially available CgA ELISA kits and to evaluate their analytical and clinical performance. CgA was measured with three different commercial ELISA kits on leftover sera from 40 patients: Chromoa R assay (Cis), Hu chromogranin A ELISA (Dia), and Neolisa chromogranin A (Euro).

Performance of automated measurement of antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptide in the routine clinical laboratory.

Objective: To evaluate the performing technical and clinical characteristics of an automated system for routine measurement of anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (aCCP), a new marker for rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Material And Methods: Reproducibility, repeatability and linearity of aCCP, as measured by an automated fluorescent enzyme immunoassay (FEIA/Phadia), were evaluated and compared with the performance of a manual ELISA technique (Axis Shield Diagnostics). Clinical verification of both methods included estimation of sensitivity in RA patients (n = 42) and specificity in well-characterized non-RA autoimmune disease controls (n = 49) and healthy subjects (n = 39).

[Dimensions of subjective well-being in elderly persons].

Subjective well-being is an important and relevant theme in psychogerontological theory and practice. Against the background of the distinction between hedonistic and eudaimonic conceptions of well-being a six-dimensional relational model of subjective well-being is described. A new instrument for the measurement of psychological, physical, social, material, cultural and existential well-being was tested in a sample of 366 elderly persons (61% women) aged 60 years and older.

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in inflammatory bowel disease with special attention for IgA-class antibodies.

Perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (P-ANCA) of the IgG class have been reported in inflammatory bowel disease, mainly in ulcerative colitis. Since this disease affects the gastrointestinal tract, we determined whether IgA class ANCA were present in inflammatory bowel disease. We used an indirect immunofluorescence assay for IgG and IgA ANCA testing.

Anticardiolipin, anti-beta(2)-glycoprotein I, antiprothrombin antibodies, and lupus anticoagulant in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus with a history of thrombosis.

Objective: To determine the clinical importance of anticardiolipin (aCL), anti-beta(2)-glycoprotein I (a beta(2)-GPI), antiprothrombin (aPT), and lupus anticoagulant (LAC) antibodies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE) with and without a history of thrombosis.

Methods: We studied 100 patients with SLE (32 with a history of thrombosis), 27 patients with a lupus-like disease (9 with a history of thrombosis), and 41 healthy volunteers, IgG and IgM aCL, antibodies to the protein cofactors (a beta(2)-GPI and aPT) were determined by ELISA. Eighty-six of 127 patients were also tested for LAC.