Behind the scenes of EQA - characteristics, capabilities, benefits and assets of external quality assessment (EQA).

External quality assessment (EQA) cycles are the smallest complete units within EQA programs that laboratories can use to obtain external assessments of their performance. In each cycle, several samples are distributed to the laboratories registered for participation, and ideally, EQA programs not only cover the examination procedures but also the pre- and post-examination procedures. The properties and concentration range of measurands in individual samples are selected with regard to the intended challenge for the participants so that each sample fulfils its purpose.

Behind the scenes of EQA - characteristics, capabilities, benefits and assets of external quality assessment (EQA).

Providers of external quality assessment (EQA) programs evaluate data or information obtained and reported by participant laboratories using their routine procedures to examine properties or measurands in samples provided for this purpose. EQA samples must offer participants an equal chance to obtain accurate results, while being designed to provide results in clinically relevant ranges. It is the responsibility of the EQA provider to meet the necessary requirements for homogeneity, stability and some other properties of the EQA items in order to offer participants a fair, reliable and technically interesting EQA experience.

Evaluating Commutability of Control Materials in Three Nordic External Quality Assessment Schemes for Lipoproteins.

Background: The quality of control materials is crucial for evaluating external quality assessment (EQA) results. To detect method differences, the EQA material should behave the same as a patient sample, meaning the material must be commutable. Noncommutable materials may cause misinterpretations of EQA results.

The interferon-inducible RNA helicase, mda-5, is involved in measles virus-induced expression of antiviral cytokines.

Activation of host cell antiviral responses is mediated by receptors detecting the presence of viruses. Here we have studied the role of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) binding molecules melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (mda-5), retinoic acid inducible gene I (RIG-I), and Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) in measles virus (MV)-induced expression of antiviral cytokines and chemokines in human A549 lung epithelial cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). We show that MV infection results in the activation of mda-5, RIG-I, and TLR3 gene expression that is followed by high expression of interferon (IFN)-beta, interleukin (IL)-28 and IL-29, CCL5, and CXCL10 genes.

NuMA and nuclear lamins are cleaved during viral infection--inhibition of caspase activity prevents cleavage and rescues HeLa cells from measles virus-induced but not from rhinovirus 1B-induced cell death.

Nuclear matrix is a structural framework of important nuclear processes. We studied the effect of two different types of viral infections on nuclear matrix. HeLa cells were infected with human rhinovirus 1B (HRV 1B) or measles virus (MV), and Nuclear Mitotic Apparatus protein (NuMA) and lamins A/C and B were used as markers for internal nuclear matrix and peripheral nuclear lamina, respectively.