Brand of dipotassium EDTA vacuum tube as a new source of pre-analytical variability in routine haematology testing.

This study assesses the use of different dry K2 (dipotassium) EDTA vacuum tubes and whether or not they might represent a bias in haematological testing. Blood was collected in three dipotassium EDTA vacuum tubes from different manufacturers: Venosafe, Vacuette and Vacutainer. Samples were analysed on an Advia 2120i analyser.

K(3)EDTA Vacuum Tubes Validation for Routine Hematological Testing.

Background and Objective. Some in vitro diagnostic devices (e.g, blood collection vacuum tubes and syringes for blood analyses) are not validated before the quality laboratory managers decide to start using or to change the brand.

Comparison of JAK2V617F mutation assessment employing different molecular diagnostic techniques.

Background: The JAK2(V617F) mutation is present in the majority of patients with polycythaemia vera and in approximately half of patients with essential thrombocythaemia and primary myelofibrosis. In this study we compare the results of JAK2(V617F) mutation detection using three different molecular techniques in the same group of patients affected by essential thrombocythaemia.

Patients And Methods: The JAK2 mutation was investigated with a qualitative method in 115 consecutive outpatients with a diagnosis of essential thrombocythaemia made according to WHO 2001 criteria.

Managing transferability of laboratory data.

Considerable attention has been focused on definition and enhancement of the analytical quality in laboratory testing over the past decades. Advances in laboratory technology and computer informatics have allowed a major sense of confidence with the analytical phase and more efforts should now be focused on extra-analytical areas of improvement, that should further strengthen the link between cost effectiveness and clinical outcome. Deduction and implementation of common reference intervals, to be possibly shared by a regional network of clinical laboratories, appear so far a crucial step to increase efficiency and harmonization.

The influence of the tourniquet time on hematological testing for antidoping purposes.

Hematological manipulation to optimize aerobic performances is a serious problem in elite and professional sports and the approach to identify blood doping is as yet challenging. In most cases, the current strategy contemplates a first stage of analysis, based on the application of arbitrary threshold for hemoglobin or hematocrit, followed by second-generation blood tests, or the adoption of an individual hematological passport. To establish the influence of preanalytical variables on the athletes' hematological profile, we compared hemoglobin, hematocrit, and reticulocytes count in 27 male professional cyclists after a mean time of 2.

Stability of blood cell counts, hematologic parameters and reticulocytes indexes on the Advia A120 hematologic analyzer.

Delayed sample analysis is not a rare circumstance in clinical and laboratory practice, especially when blood samples are shipped to distant centralized laboratories, when the analysis can not be readily performed, or when retesting is appropriate. In this study we sought to evaluate the stability of conventional and new hematologic parameters in blood specimens stored for as long as 24 hours at 4 degrees C. Of the 21 hematologic parameters tested with the use of the Advia 120 hematologic analyzer (Bayer Diagnostics), means for paired samples of specimens differed significantly over the 24-hour storage period for hematocrit, main corpuscular volume, percentage of macrocytes, platelet count, main platelet volume, reticulocyte count and percentage, and reticulocyte hemoglobin content (all P < .

Genetic studies on myeloperoxidase deficiency in Italy.

Hereditary myeloperoxidase (MPO) deficiency is the most common neutrophil biochemical defect characterized by the lack of peroxidase activity. In order to extend the epidemiological studies on hereditary MPO deficiency in Italy, approximately 40,000 individuals were analyzed and 7 partial and 8 total MPO deficient subjects were identified. The genetic characterization of the subjects showed the presence of 3 already-known mutations (c.

Genetic characterization of myeloperoxidase deficiency in Italy.

Hereditary myeloperoxidase (MPO) deficiency (MPOD) is the most common neutrophil biochemical defect, and is characterized by a lack of peroxidase activity. In order to extend the epidemiological studies on hereditary MPOD in Italy, a population screening was carried out to detect mutations in the MPO gene. Of approximately 40,000 individuals analyzed, seven partial and eight total MPO-deficient subjects were identified.

Complex glycerol kinase deficiency leads to psychomotor and body-growth failure.

Complex glycerol kinase deficiency usually presents with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, glycerol kinase deficiency and adrenal hypoplasia congenital. We describe a follow-up patient with complex glycerol kinase deficiency who had appropriate intrauterine development, but who at 1 month of age manifested severe growth delay and psychomotor retardation. Targeted therapy did not bring about the regression of symptoms: both bodyweight and height were below the 3rd centile until 8 years of age, and his Griffith's Mental Development scale score was 71 at age 5 years.

The role of iron status markers in predicting response to intravenous iron in haemodialysis patients on maintenance erythropoietin.

Background: Iron deficiency (ID) is the main cause of hyporesponsiveness to erythropoietin in haemodialysis patients and its detection is of value since it is easily corrected by intravenous iron. Markers of iron supply to the erythron, including erythrocyte zinc protoporphyrin (Er-ZPP), percentage of hypochromic erythrocytes (Hypo), reticulocyte haemoglobin content (CHr) and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), may be more accurate predictors of ID than ferritin (Fer) and transferrin saturation (TSat), but relative diagnostic power and best threshold values are not yet established.

Methods: In 125 haemodialysis patients on maintenance erythropoietin, the diagnostic power of the above parameters was evaluated by ROC curve, multivariate regression, and stepwise discriminant analyses.