A novel approach for more precise quantification of M-protein using variables derived from immunosubtraction electropherogram and associated biochemistry analytes.

Introduction: Due to limitations in currently used methodologies, the widely acknowledged approach for quantifying M-protein (MP) is not available. If employed as a source of quantitative data, the immunosubtraction electropherogram (IS-EPG), a qualitative analysis of MP, has the potential to overcome known analytical issues. The aim of this study is to explore measured and derived variables obtained from immunosubtraction electropherogram as a tool for quantifying MP and to compare the derived results to currently available methods.

Verification study of free light chains assays on reagent-optimized analysers.

Introduction: Our aim was to compare analytical specifications of two assays (monoclonal vs. polyclonal) for free light chains (FLCs) quantification optimized for two different analytical platforms, nephelometer ProSpec (Siemens, Erlangen, Germany) and turbidimetric analyser Optilite (The Binding Site, Birmingham, UK).

Materials And Methods: The evaluation included verification of the precision, repeatability and reproducibility, estimation of accuracy and method comparison study with 37 serum samples of haematological patients.

Unusual pattern in haemoglobin electrophoresis in Croatian population: a case report.

Haemoglobinopathies are hereditary disorders of globin chain synthesis and are the most common inherited diseases worldwide. Haemoglobin E is a structural haemoglobin variant characteristic for South East Asian population. We present a rare and unusual finding of haemoglobin E detected in University Hospital Centre Zagreb by capillary zone electrophoresis.

Immunoglobulin heavy/light chain analysis enhances the detection of residual disease and monitoring of multiple myeloma patients.

Aim: To evaluate the clinical utility of incorporating a novel heavy/light chain immunoassay (HLC) into the existing methods for the assessment of multiple myeloma (MM) patients.

Methods: Convenience sera samples from 90 previously treated IgG and IgA MM patients in different disease stages were analyzed. The study was conducted in Clinical Hospital Center Zagreb between 2011 and 2013.

Factitious proteinuria - the most dominant feature in a young female patient with Munchausen syndrome.

Munchausen syndrome is a factitious disorder with predominantly physical signs and symptoms, resulting from the patient's high motivation for assuming a sick role, without any external incentives or boundaries. We report the case of a young female patient with factitious proteinuria in the nephrotic range and a fairly eventful medical history. After performing many expensive and unnecessary investigations and procedures,the real origin of the proteinuria was determined;it was found to be caused by the patient carefully adding calibrated egg albumin to her urine samples.

Acute phase proteins in psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a chronic, relapsing, inflammatory and hyperproliferative skin disorder. The levels of acute phase proteins are suggested to be elevated in those patients with acute disease. The expression of selected acute phase proteins as the parameters of humoral immunity has been analyzed in 70 patients with acute psoriasis and 40 healthy controls.

[Three-year-old boy--a homozygote for familiar hypercholesterolemia].

Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations in the low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene. It occurs with a frequency of approximately 1 per million persons world-wide. Clinically, homozygous FH is associated with extremely elevated levels of LDL cholesterol and cutaneous xanthomas that develop in early childhood.

Aberrant glycosylation of Igg heavy chain in multiple myeloma.

Although the majority of eukaryotic proteins are glycosylated, there is a dearth of knowledge regarding protein sugar moieties and their changes in disease. Most multiple myeloma cases are characterized by production of monoclonal immunoglobulins (Ig). We studied galactosylation and sialylation of IgG heavy chains in 16 patients with IgG myeloma using lectin blotting and densitometry.