The United Kingdom National External Quality Assessment Service for parasitology: toxoplasma serology scheme.

Aim: To examine performance in the UK National External Quality Assessment Scheme (UKNEQAS) for toxoplasma serology for evidence of discrepant results as compared with the predistribution and postdistribution results supplied by the toxoplasma reference laboratories.

Methods: Analysis of performance in the toxoplasma IgG and IgM schemes was made for the period 1994-2008 to look for trends in performance.

Results: For the IgG scheme, a mean of 98% of participants obtained the correct result for detection of toxoplasma-specific antibody.

Airway glucose concentrations and effect on growth of respiratory pathogens in cystic fibrosis.

Background: Pulmonary decline accelerates in cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD) proportional to severity of glucose intolerance, but mechanisms are unclear. In people without CF, airway glucose (AG) concentrations are elevated when blood glucose (BG)> or =8 mmol L(-1) (airway threshold), and are associated with acquisition of respiratory infection.

Methods: To determine the relationship between BG and AG, 40 CF patients underwent paired BG and AG (nasal) measurements.