Soluble transferrin receptor and zinc protoporphyrin--competitors or efficient partners?

Objectives: Soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) and zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) are both parameters of iron deficient erythropoiesis (IDE), the sTfR measurement is commonly regarded to be the more sensitive test. sTfR also reflects erythropoietic activity, it is increased in enhanced erythropoiesis.

Methods: We investigated the diagnostic accuracy of sTfR in assessment of iron deficiency (ID) and compared it with ZPP.

Evaluation of the automated coagulation analyzer Sysmex CA-7000.

Introduction: Centralization of laboratory diagnostics and an increasing number of urgent requests and nonstandard samples raise the need for short turn-around times and high-throughput analyzers for coagulation tests. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the analytical and technical performance of the Sysmex CA-7000 coagulation analyzer under routine laboratory conditions.

Materials And Methods: We evaluated the Sysmex CA-7000 in comparison to the Sysmex CA-6000 analyzer for PT, INR, aPTT, Clauss, and derived fibrinogen.

Blood loss from laboratory tests.

Background: Laboratory tests can be an important source of blood loss in hospitals, especially for newborns and patients in intensive care. The aim of this study was to quantify blood loss for laboratory diagnostic tests in a large number of patients in a teaching hospital.

Methods: We estimated blood loss by multiplying the number and volumes of sampling tubes collected from 2654 adult inpatients.

Differential expression and function of CYP2C isoforms in human intestine and liver.

This study aimed to characterize the intestinal and hepatic expression and function of CYP2C enzymes in the same set of subjects. CYP2C isoform-specific quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assays, Western immunoblotting and marker reactions of CYP2C8, CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 activities were employed to investigate expression and activity of the CYP2C isoforms in samples of small intestine and liver obtained from 15 patients undergoing gastrectomy or pancreatoduodenectomy. The rank order for CYP2C mRNA expression in the intestine was CYP2C9 = CYP2C18 > CYP2C19 > CYP2C8, whereas that in the liver was CYP2C9 > CYP2C8 > CYP2C18 > CYP2C19.

Cloning and sequence of partial cDNAs encoding the human type V and VI adenylyl cyclases and subsequent RNA-quantification in various tissues.

Adenylyl cyclases (Acs) and VI are the predominant form of Acs in mammalian heart where they are part of the beta-adrenergic pathway. Up to now, the sequences for both enzymes from human tissues have not yet been reported. We investigated the mRNA expression AC V and VI in human colon, heart, liver, lung and MNL.