Performance Evaluation of the Siemens SARS-CoV-2 Total Antibody and IgG Antibody Test.

Objective: In this study, the performance of 2 commercially available SARS-CoV-2 antibody assays is evaluated.

Methods: The Siemens SARS-CoV-2 Total (COV2T) and IgG (COV2G) antibody tests were evaluated on a Siemens Atellica IM1300 analyzer. Imprecision was assessed with the CLSI EP15 protocol using positive controls.

Pseudonephritis is associated with high urinary osmolality and high specific gravity in adolescent soccer players.

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of exercise on urine sediment in adolescent soccer players. In 25 15-year-old (range 14.4-15.

Maximum oxygen uptake at peak exercise in elderly patients with coronary artery disease and preserved left ventricular function: the role of inflammation on top of tissue Doppler-derived systolic and diastolic function.

Background: Several studies have shown that longitudinal systolic function and left ventricular filling pressures, as assessed with tissue Doppler imaging, predict exercise capacity.

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether natriuretic peptides and inflammatory parameters can independently predict maximum oxygen uptake at peak exercise (VO2max) on top of tissue Doppler imaging-derived markers.

Methods: We evaluated 142 patients (age 70 +/- 6 years, 77% men) with known or suspected coronary artery disease and a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (> or = 50%).

Quantitative determination of vigabatrin and gabapentin in human serum by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Background: Published methods for routine clinical monitoring of vigabatrin and gabapentin are often very laborious. A simple GC-MS method was developed for the simultaneous quantitative determination of vigabatrin and gabapentin in human serum.

Methods: After protein precipitation, the compounds are derivatized by methylation and analysed on a polydimethylsiloxane column using splitless injection.

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.

Effect of dialyser membrane pore size on plasma homocysteine levels in haemodialysis patients.

Background: Hyperhomocysteinaemia is a putative risk factor for atherothrombotic cardiovascular disease in the haemodialysis population. High-dose vitamin B therapy does not entirely normalize elevated plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) levels in haemodialysis patients. Alternative therapies to reduce tHcy further are therefore required.

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.

Polyclonal IgM influence oligodendrocyte precursor cells in mixed glial cell cultures: implications for remyelination.

Polyclonal immunoglobulins for intravenous use (IVIg) are a potent immunomodulator and have been shown to be effective in several immune-mediated diseases. This includes inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) like multiple sclerosis (MS). Besides their immunomodulatory function, IVIg have been proposed to enhance remyelination based on studies in the animal model of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV).

The effect of supplementation with an antioxidant preparation on LDL-oxidation is determined by haptoglobin polymorphism.

The genetic polymorphism of haptoglobin (Hp) is an independent risk factor in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, a condition in which decreased resistance to in vitro oxidation of LDL-cholesterol is observed. We hypothesised that the Hp polymorphism is one of the factors modulating the resistance to Cu(2+)-induced oxidation of LDL during antioxidant supplementation. In this study, 74 middle-aged subjects with increased oxidative stress were allocated to either matched placebo or oral antioxidative treatment (Quatral) once daily for 16 weeks.