Prognostic and predictive value of circulating tumor cell analysis in colorectal cancer patients.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic and predictive values of circulating tumor cell (CTC) analysis in colorectal cancer patients.

Patients And Methods: Presence of CTCs was evaluated in 60 colorectal cancer patients before systemic therapy--from which 33 patients were also evaluable for CTC analysis during the first 3 months of treatment--through immunomagnetic enrichment, using the antibodies BM7 and VU1D9 (targeting mucin 1 and EpCAM, respectively), followed by real-time RT-PCR analysis of the tumor-associated genes KRT19, MUC1, EPCAM, CEACAM5 and BIRC5.

Results: Patients were stratified into groups according to CTC detection (CTC negative, when all marker genes were negative; and CTC positive when at least one of the marker genes was positive).

Development of a molecular multimarker assay for the analysis of circulating tumor cells in adenocarcinoma patients.

Background: The analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is emerging as a promising diagnostic tool in oncology. However, even if a variety of methods for CTC isolation have been already developed, their specificity and/or sensitivity still remain problematic. The aim of this study was to develop an immunomagnetic/real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for the molecular detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood (PB) of adenocarcinoma cancer patients.

Multimarker gene analysis of circulating tumor cells in pancreatic cancer patients: a feasibility study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop an immunomagnetic/real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay and assess its clinical value for the molecular detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood of pancreatic cancer patients.

Methods: The presence of CTCs was evaluated in 34 pancreatic cancer patients before systemic therapy and in 40 healthy controls, through immunomagnetic enrichment, using the antibodies BM7 and VU1D9 [targeting mucin 1 and epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), respectively], followed by real-time RT-PCR analysis of the genes KRT19, MUC1, EPCAM, CEACAM5 and BIRC5.

Results: The developed assay showed high specificity, as none of the healthy controls were found to be positive for the multimarker gene panel.

Multicenter evaluation of a rapid electrochemiluminescent adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) immunoassay.

Background: Measuring plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is a key step in the differential diagnosis of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal disorders.

Methods: The recently developed electrochemiluminescence Elecsys ACTH immunoassay (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany) was evaluated at six clinical laboratories on the Modular E170 and/or the Elecsys 2010 (Roche Diagnostics) immunoanalysers.

Results: The within-run and between-run imprecision was View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Performance of the XE-2100 leucocyte differential.

The XE-2100 trade mark was evaluated in a multicentre study following a previously established protocol. In this paper, we demonstrate the results of analytical performance studies, including comparison of the leucocyte differential with the NCCLS H20-A method and evaluation of flagging sensitivity. Linearity of the leucocyte count over a wide clinical range, low imprecision in clinically important ranges and no measurable carry over were confirmed.

The role of automated urine particle flow cytometry in clinical practice.

Urine particle flow cytometers (UFC) have improved count precision and accuracy compared to visual microscopy and offer significant labor saving. The absence of an internationally recognized reference measurement procedure, however, is a serious drawback to their validation. Chamber counting by phase contrast microscopy of supravitally-stained uncentrifuged urine is considered the best candidate for reference.

Performance of the SE-9000 automated haematology analyser in a laboratory serving a haematological oncology unit.

The performance of the SE-9000 automated haematology analyser in a laboratory receiving a high number of abnormal specimens from haematological oncology patients was assessed according to formal protocols for the evaluation of blood cell counters. Linearity over a useful working range, precision in clinically important ranges and negligible carry-over were demonstrated in this group of patient samples confirming the results of previous investigators. The comparability of instrument derived differential leucocyte counts from both normal and distributionally abnormal samples with those obtained by visual microscopy using the NCCLS H-20 A protocol was very good.

False-negative prenatal exclusion of Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome by measurement of fetal platelet count and size.

The study of the fetal platelet count and size can, according to the literature, be used for the prenatal diagnosis of the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS). So far, no affected fetuses have been identified by this method. All pregnancies in which this method had been applied to resulted, as correctly predicted, in the birth of normal children.

Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase quantification from fetal erythrocytes--an efficient confirmatory test for Down's syndrome after maternal serum screening and sonographic investigations.

An enzyme immunoassay especially designed for the quantification of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) in erythrocytes has been applied to measure the SOD of outcomes with high risk for Down's syndrome. From 148 fetuses SOD was quantified from erythrocytes of umbilical vein blood and related to the number of cells, the content of haemoglobin (Hb), and to the haematocrit (Hc). Comparative studies between the SOD content of erythrocytes from the fetuses and their mothers resulted in similar SOD levels (14.

Immunochemical quantification of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase in prenatal diagnosis of Down's syndrome.

Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) was quantified by enzyme immunoassay for prenatal diagnosis of Down's syndrome. Overall, 154 samples of amniotic fluid, 72 samples of amniotic cells and 31 samples of chorionic tissue were investigated. Due to the large biological variance of the SOD concentrations in normal pregnancies (range for amniotic fluid 10.

Evaluation of indicators of erythropoiesis stimulated by recombinant human erythropoietin in renal anemia.

Recombinant human erythropoietin (rh-EPO) was administered to 11 anemic children with end-stage renal disease who were undergoing hemodialysis. Hematocrit (Hct), absolute reticulocyte count (retics), creatine concentration of red cells and erythrocyte density test (EDT) were chosen as indicators of rh-EPO effect on erythropoiesis. In the present report the first 9 weeks shall be presented in which all patients received an identical dosage of rh-EPO per kg body weight.

[Hemapheresis using vesicular plant separation materials].

The present paper deals with the separation of cells from soluble compounds of blood by means of exclusion chromatography using a recently described vesicular packing material made from the cell wall framework of the small duckweed Wolffia arrhiza. The cells of the periphere blood are hardly retarded in passing through a packing of the vesicular material and eluted as sharp peak at an elution volume which is near to 30% of the column volume. The behavior of cells is similar to that of the excluded high molecular weight plasma proteins (e.

Postnatal administration of L-dopa normalizes hypoxia-induced long-term changes in dopamine release from striatum slices and in avoidance learning.

Newborn rats exposed to a mild chronic postnatal hypoxia always displayed at the age of 2-3 months an increased fractional efflux rate of dopamine (DA) from striatum slices combined with a decreased capacity for learning and retention. The protective effect of the administration of L-DOPA on these long-term changes was tested by the injection of L-DOPA 5-30 min prior to the beginning of daily exposure to hypoxia. L-DOPA administration during postnatal hypoxia prevents in a dose dependent manner the long-term effects of postnatal hypoxia as described.

Changes in membrane-associated proteins during sporulation in Bacillus subtilis.

Membrane proteins from vegetative and sporulating cells of Bacillus subtilis were separated by the two-dimensional gel electrophoresis system using isoelectric focusing and sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (O'Farrell technique). Membrane proteins were isolated according to published procedures. The gels were stained with Coomassie blue.