Meta-audit of laboratory ISO accreditation inspections: measuring the old emperor's clothes.

Accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 is required for EC official food control and veterinary laboratories by Regulation (EC) No. 882/2004. Measurements in hospital laboratories and clinics are increasingly accredited to ISO/IEC 15189.

Neuroendocrine tumours of the small bowel: interpretation of raised circulating chromogranin A, urinary 5 hydroxy indole acetic acid and circulating neurokinin A.

Background: Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) of the small bowel are difficult to diagnose as symptoms are non-specific and more often found in common gastrointestinal diseases. Chromogranin A (CGA), urinary 5 hydroxy indole acetic acid (U-5HIAA) and Neurokinin A (NKA) are used as laboratory diagnostic tests but results may be misleading or confusing.

Aim: To clarify the relevance of NET biomarkers for diagnosis of small bowel NETs.

Evaluation of the clonidine suppression test in the diagnosis of phaeochromocytoma.

The aim of this study is to review the experience of the clonidine suppression test in a regional endocrine centre and to compare the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity using various previous published criteria. The design used is retrospective study. The subjects include 56 patients in whom clonidine suppression tests had been performed from 1995 to 2000: 15 with phaeochromocytoma and 41 patients in whom the diagnosis was excluded using a combination of biochemical testing, abdominal computed tomography scanning and clinical follow-up.

Integration of local and central laboratory functions in a worldwide multicentre study: Experience from the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) Study.

Background: Measurement of glucose in multiple Field Laboratories requires rigorous standardization when patients and caregivers are masked, unless predefined thresholds are met. Local misclassification of participants at the thresholds can introduce recruitment bias and adversely affect the integrity of study findings.

Purpose: To describe the challenges and the approach to meeting them in measuring glucose, HbA1c, and C-peptide in the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) Study.