Lower incidence of clinical allergy with PEG-asparaginase upfront versus the sequential use of native E. coli asparaginase followed by PEG-ASP in pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Asparaginase (ASP) is an essential component for the acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treatment, but toxicities, such as allergy, frequently limit its use. Although the potentially lower PEG-ASP formulation immunogenicity, few studies with conflicting results have compared the allergy incidence between Escherichia coli-ASP and PEG-ASP in the same protocol. We aimed at comparing the allergy incidence in children receiving native E.

Physicochemical Stability and Sterility of Standard Parenteral Nutrition Solutions and Simulated Y-Site Admixtures for Neonates.

Background: Parenteral nutrition (PN) is frequently needed in neonatal intensive care. The use of standard PN has emerged as an easy-to-prescribe approach that allows one to have on-site, ready-to-use PN. The aim of this study was to test the physicochemical stability and sterility of 2 specific PN solutions as well as simulate Y-site compatibility with lipid injectable emulsions (ILE).

Analysis of peptidome profiling of serum from patients with early onset symptoms of ischemic stroke.

Background: We sought to identify new serum biomarkers for the early diagnosis of ischemic stroke.

Methods: We collected 63 serum samples from patients with neurologic disease (45 patients with ischemic stroke, 18 patients with other neurologic disorders, and 56 healthy controls). Serum peptides were extracted using immobilized copper ion chromatography on a robotic platform.

Standardized peptidome profiling of human serum for the detection of pancreatic cancer.

Objective: To establish new biomarkers for accurate diagnosis of pancreatic cancer (PC) using a standardized serum peptidome profiling and compare the results with those from the tumor marker, CA 19-9.

Methods: Serum samples from 102 patients (55 with chronic pancreatitis and 47 with PC) and 56 healthy controls were collected and analyzed following a protocol that was rigorously designed to prevent preanalytical variation. Serum peptides were extracted using immobilized copper ion chromatography on a robotic platform.

Multicentric evaluation of the homogeneous LDL-cholesterol Plus assay: comparison with beta-quantification and Friedewald formula.

Objectives: To evaluate the analytical and clinical performance of a new version of the LDL-C Plus assay and compare it with the beta-quantification (BQ) method in a multicenter study.

Design And Methods: Direct LDL-C was measured in 169 fresh pooled samples and in 830 clinical samples with known LDL-C by BQ. The reactivity of lipoproteins and the effect of hemoglobin, bilirubin and chylomicrons (CM) were studied.

Differential intestinal mucosal protein expression in hypercholesterolemic mice fed a phytosterol-enriched diet.

The molecular mechanisms involved in the phytosterol-induced decrease in intestinal cholesterol absorption remain unclear. Further, other biological properties such as immunomodulatory activity and protection against cancer have also been ascribed to these plant compounds. To gain insight into the mechanisms underlying phytosterol actions, we conducted a proteomic study in the intestinal mucosa of phytosterol-fed apolipoprotein E-deficient hypercholesterolemic (apoE-/-) mice.

A cause of falsely low HDL concentrations in HIV-infected patients: increased polyclonal serum immunoglobulin.

Objective: To describe the interference of polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia in a direct HDL-c method.

Methods: HDL-c was measured by a direct method (Roche Diagnostics) in four HIV-infected patients showing polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia and also by precipitation with phosphotungstic acid and ultracentrifugation at a density of 1.063 kg/L.

N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in the emergency diagnosis and in-hospital monitoring of patients with dyspnoea and ventricular dysfunction.

Objective: To evaluate the utility of NT-proBNP in the emergency diagnosis and in-hospital monitoring of patients with acute dyspnoea and ventricular dysfunction.

Background: Misdiagnosis of heart failure (HF) is common in the urgent care setting using clinical diagnostic tests. Reports show that BNP is useful to diagnose HF in patients with acute dyspnoea.