Publications by authors named "Stefanie Lefever"

Article Synopsis
  • Porphyrias are uncommon metabolic disorders related to hemoglobin production, with symptoms that can be neurological, skin-related, or both, making diagnosis challenging.
  • Researchers created and validated two diagnostic algorithms for acute and cutaneous porphyrias based on the symptoms presented, utilizing data from the UZ Leuven hospital and the European porphyria network.
  • These algorithms demonstrated excellent sensitivity (100% for both types) and high specificity (98.5% for acute and 93.9% for cutaneous porphyrias) in accurately identifying cases, providing valuable support for clinicians.
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We evaluated the quantitative DiaSorin Liaison severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antigen test in symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals consulting their general practitioners (GPs) during a period of stable intense virus circulation (213/100,000 habitants per day). Leftover reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) positive ( = 204) and negative ( = 210) nasopharyngeal samples were randomly selected among fresh routine samples collected from patients consulting their GPs. Samples were tested on Liaison XL according to the manufacturer's instructions.

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A 30-year-old woman presented to the emergency department 2 days after ingestion of 50 castor beans. Her symptoms on admission were vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, agitation and anxiety. Initial laboratory tests showed a slightly elevated C-reactive protein and mild liver and kidney dysfunction.

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The lack of (inter-)laboratory standardization has hampered the application of universal cutoff values for Alzheimer's disease (AD) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers and their transfer to general clinical practice. The automation of the AD biomarker immunoassays is suggested to generate more robust results than using manual testing. Open-access platforms will facilitate the integration of automation for novel biomarkers, allowing the introduction of the protein profiling concept.

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