Patient-based pre-classified real-time quality control (PCRTQC).

Background: Patient-based real-time quality control (PBRTQC) has gained increasing attention in clinical laboratory management. Although its valuable characteristics complement traditional quality control measures, its performance and practical application have faced scrutiny. In this study, patient-based pre-classified real-time quality control (PCRTQC), an extended approach was devised to enhance real-time quality control protocols.

Effects of Using Different Indirect Techniques on the Calculation of Reference Intervals: Observational Study.

Background: Reference intervals (RIs) play an important role in clinical decision-making. However, due to the time, labor, and financial costs involved in establishing RIs using direct means, the use of indirect methods, based on big data previously obtained from clinical laboratories, is getting increasing attention. Different indirect techniques combined with different data transformation methods and outlier removal might cause differences in the calculation of RIs.

Reference intervals of 14 biochemical markers for children and adolescence in China: the PRINCE study.

Objectives: The Pediatric Reference Intervals in China (PRINCE) was initiated to establish the reference intervals (RIs) of Chinese children, as well as to make it possible to compare the variability of biochemical markers among countries internationally.

Methods: Healthy participants, aged up to 20 years, from 11 provinces across China, were enrolled in PRINCE and according to a standard screening procedure, that included a questionnaire survey, physical examinations and laboratory tests. Fasting venous blood specimens were collected.

Annual biological variation and personalized reference intervals of clinical chemistry and hematology analytes.

Objectives: A large number of people undergo annual health checkup but accurate laboratory criterion for evaluating their health status is limited. The present study determined annual biological variation (BV) and derived parameters of common laboratory analytes in order to accurately evaluate the test results of the annual healthcare population.

Methods: A total of 43 healthy individuals who had regular healthcare once a year for six consecutive years, were enrolled using physical, electrocardiogram, ultrasonography and laboratory.

The development of autoverification system of lymphocyte subset assays on the flow cytometry platform.

Objectives: Peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets are important parameters for monitoring immune status; however, lymphocyte subset detection is time-consuming and error-prone. This study aimed to explore a highly efficient and clinically useful autoverification system for lymphocyte subset assays performed on the flow cytometry platform.

Methods: A total of 94,402 lymphocyte subset test results were collected.

A review on the biology and properties of adipose tissue macrophages involved in adipose tissue physiological and pathophysiological processes.

Obesity exhibits a correlation with metabolic inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum stress, promoting the progression of metabolic disease such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hyperuricemia and so on. Adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) are central players in obesity-associated inflammation and metabolic diseases. Macrophages are involved in lipid and energy metabolism and mitochondrial function in adipocytes.

Determination of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T upper reference limits under the improved selection criteria in a Chinese population.

Background: There is no common consensus on how to define the reference population for determination of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) upper reference limit (URL). This study aimed to establish 99th percentile URLs of hs-cTnT under both 2018 AACC/IFCC criteria and improved selection criteria for further judging whether two URLs are different.

Methods: Applying the stratified cluster sampling protocol, this study took 1848 apparently healthy subjects in communities of Shenyang China as the screening objects.

A study on reference interval transference via linear regression.

Background Reference intervals (RIs) transference can expand the applicability of established RIs. However, the study on transference methodology is insufficient, and RIs validation based on small samples cannot adequately identify transferred risk under complex situations. This study aimed to find appropriate conditions to ensure the effect of transference.

Design and evaluation of a LIS-based autoverification system for coagulation assays in a core clinical laboratory.

Background: The autoverification system for coagulation consists of a series of rules that allow normal data to be released without manual verification. With new advances in medical informatics, the laboratory information system (LIS) has growing potential for the autoverification, allowing rapid and accurate verification of clinical laboratory tests. The purpose of the study is to develop and evaluate a LIS-based autoverification system for validation and efficiency.

Pediatric reference intervals in China (PRINCE): design and rationale for a large, multicenter collaborative cross-sectional study.

There is a lack of accurate pediatric reference intervals (RIs) in China, with most commonly used RIs established without consideration of the effect of age and gender. The Pediatric Reference Intervals in China (PRINCE) project aims to establish and verify pediatric RIs for 31 common laboratory measurands. The project will be a large, multicenter cross-sectional study: 14,490 healthy children and adolescents aged up to 19 years will be surveyed by 10 children's hospitals and one pediatric department of a university hospital.

Biological variation of serum neuron-specific enolase and carbohydrate antigen 724 tumor markers.

Background: The aim of our study was to assess two tumor markers, carbohydrate antigen 724 (CA724) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE), in 20 healthy individuals. Then, we determined their average intra- and inter-individual biological variations (CV and CV ).

Methods: Blood samples were taken at weekly intervals for five weeks from 20 healthy subjects through a detailed questionnaire and physical examination.

The effect of thalassemia on erythrocyte reference intervals in a representative Han Chinese adult population.

Background: The data from apparently healthy individuals with thalassemia has been demonstrated to have an effect on the reference intervals for the erythrocyte indices in areas with a high incidence of thalassemia.

Methods: Six clinical centers screened apparently healthy individuals using a questionnaire and a physical examination. Then, the qualified reference individuals were selected by hematological indices and a genotypic thalassemia diagnosis.

Complete blood count reference intervals for healthy Han Chinese adults.

Background: Complete blood count (CBC) reference intervals are important to diagnose diseases, screen blood donors, and assess overall health. However, current reference intervals established by older instruments and technologies and those from American and European populations are not suitable for Chinese samples due to ethnic, dietary, and lifestyle differences. The aim of this multicenter collaborative study was to establish CBC reference intervals for healthy Han Chinese adults.

LNA-modified isothermal oligonucleotide microarray for differentiating bacilli of similar origin.

Oligonucleotide microarray has been one of the most powerful tools in the 'Post-Genome Era' for its high sensitivity, high throughput and parallel processing capability. To achieve high detection specificity, we fabricated an isothermal microarray using locked nucleic acid (LNA)-modified oligonucleotide probes, since LNA has demonstrated the advanced ability to enhance the binding affinity toward their complementary nucleotides. After designing the nucleotide sequences of these oligonucleotide probes for gram-positive bacilli of similar origin (Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus circulans), we unified the melting temperatures of these oligonucleotide probes by modifying some nucleotides using LNA.

Correlation of IL-1F genetic polymorphisms with the risk of colorectal cancer among Chinese populations.

Inflammatory/immune cells have the power of infiltrating almost all human solid tumors and influencing all stages of carcinogenesis because of their stimulation of various cytokine subsets. This study aims to determine the correlation of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the IL-17F gene and the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). One thousand patients diagnosed with CRC and a control group of 354 healthy controls were involved.

Effects of 2'-O-methyl nucleotide on ligation capability of T4 DNA ligase.

To further understand the ligation mechanism, effects of 2'-O-methyl nucleotide (2'-OMeN) on the T4 DNA ligation efficiency were investigated. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay was used to monitor the nick-joining process by T4 DNA ligase. Results showed that substitutions at 5'- and 3'-ends of the nick decreased the ligation efficiency by 48.

Reference Intervals of Serum Sodium, Potassium, and Chlorine in Chinese Han Population and Comparison of Two ISE Methods.

Background: Currently there are no reference intervals (RIs) of sodium (Na), potassium (K), and chlorine (Cl) on Chinese population. Two kinds of ion-selective electrode (ISE) methods were commonly used to determine K, Na, and Cl levels in China, the difference between these two methods needs to be evaluated.

Methods: A total of 4,524 healthy participants (1,916 males and 2,608 females) between 20-79 years old from six cities in China were selected by strict criteria.

Enzymatic cleavage of type II restriction endonucleases on the 2'-O-methyl nucleotide and phosphorothioate substituted DNA.

The effects of nucleotide analogue substitution on the cleavage efficiencies of type II restriction endonucleases have been investigated. Six restriction endonucleases (EcoRV, SpeI, XbaI, XhoI, PstI and SphI) were investigated respectively regarding their cleavage when substrates were substituted by 2'-O-methyl nucleotide (2'-OMeN) and phosphorothioate (PS). Substitutions were made in the recognition sequence and the two nucleotides flanking the recognition sequence for each endonuclease.

Effects of 2'-O-methyl nucleotide substitution on EcoRI endonuclease cleavage activities.

To investigate the effect of sugar pucker conformation on DNA-protein interactions, we used 2'-O-methyl nucleotide (2'-OMeN) to modify the EcoRI recognition sequence -TGAATTCT-, and monitored the enzymatic cleavage process using FRET method. The 2'-O-methyl nucleotide has a C3'-endo sugar pucker conformation different from the C2'-endo sugar pucker conformation of native DNA nucleotides. The initial reaction velocities were measured and the kinetic parameters, Km and Vmax were derived using Michaelis-Menten equation.

First definition of reference intervals of liver function tests in China: a large-population-based multi-center study about healthy adults.

Background: Reference intervals of Liver function tests are very important for the screening, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of liver diseases. We aim to establish common reference intervals of liver function tests specifically for the Chinese adult population.

Methods: A total of 3210 individuals (20-79 years) were enrolled in six representative geographical regions in China.

Regulation of cAMP on the first mitotic cell cycle of mouse embryos.

Mitosis promoting factor (MPF) plays a central role during the first mitosis of mouse embryo. We demonstrated that MPF activity increased when one-cell stage mouse embryo initiated G2/M transition following the decrease of cyclic adenosine 3', 5'-monophosphate (cAMP) and cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) activity. When cAMP and PKA activity increases again, MPF activity decreases and mouse embryo starts metaphase-anaphase transition.