Laboratory tests for investigating anemia: From an expert system to artificial intelligence.

Objective: To compare the laboratory tests conducted in real-life settings for patients with anemia with the expected prescriptions derived from an optimal checkup.

Methods: A panel of experts formulated an "optimal laboratory test assessment" specific to each anemia profile. A retrospective analysis was done of the laboratory tests conducted according to the type of anemia (microcytic, normocytic or macrocytic).

Chronic Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in patients with symptomatic atherothrombosis.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to search for an association between chronic Chlamydia pneumoniae infection, indicated by elevated antibody titers against the pathogen, atherothrombosis and the occurrence of arterial ischemic events.

Methods: We studied 52 patients presenting at baseline with at least one symptomatic episode of atherothrombosis. A screening for fasting blood glucose and a lipid profile was performed on all patients who had no known history of diabetes or hypercholesterolemia.

Clinical and biologic factors related to oral implant failure: a 2-year follow-up study.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate urinary biomarkers of bone formation and resorption as predictive factors for oral implant failure, and to contribute to the knowledge of factors related to oral implant failure. A total of 93 patients between 18 and 85 years old, with an indication of oral implant, were eligible in this 2-year prospective, open, and nonrandomized study. Patients who had bone graft before implantation or presented with prosthetic difficulties (implant-to-crown ratio < 1, and/or unfavorable intermaxillary space) were excluded.

Serological response to infection with different isolates of hepatitis C virus.

Different isolates of hepatitis C virus (HCV) show nucleotide sequence variability throughout the genome. Detection of antibodies to recombinant proteins derived from hepatitis C virus genotype 1, the prototype HCV clone HCV-PT, constitutes the main method for screening HCV infection. The influence of the genomic variability on the serological diagnosis of HCV by enzyme immunoassay remains poorly defined.

Hepatitis C virus genotyping based on 5' noncoding sequence analysis (Trugene).

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotyping of samples from 184 patients with chronic HCV infection by the Trugene 5'NC genotyping kit, based on sequence analysis of the 5' noncoding region (5' NCR), and the InnoLiPA assay was evaluated. In addition to these methods, the 184 samples were also analyzed by sequencing of part of the NS5B of the HCV genome after in-house PCR amplification, as a means of validating results obtained with the 5' NCR. The distribution of the genotypes typed by NS5B sequence analysis was as follows: 1a, 41 samples; 1b, 58 samples; 1d, 1 sample; 2a, 5 samples; 2b, 2 samples; 2c, 7 samples; 3a, 46 samples; 4a, 7 samples; 4c, 1 samples; 4e, 9 samples; 5a, 6 samples; 6a, 1 sample.