Multidisciplinary long-term survey of Manila clam grown in farming sites subjected to different environmental conditions.

In recent years recurrent bivalve mass mortalities considerably increased around the world, causing the collapse of natural and farmed populations. Venice Lagoon has historically represented one of the major production areas of the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum in Europe. However, in the last 20 years a 75 % decrease in the annual production has been experienced.

Long-lasting effects of chronic exposure to chemical pollution on the hologenome of the Manila clam.

Chronic exposure to pollutants affects natural populations, creating specific molecular and biochemical signatures. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that chronic exposure to pollutants might have substantial effects on the Manila clam hologenome long after removal from contaminated sites. To reach this goal, a highly integrative approach was implemented, combining transcriptome, genetic and microbiota analyses with the evaluation of biochemical and histological profiles of the edible Manila clam , as it was transplanted for 6 months from the polluted area of Porto Marghera (PM) to the clean area of Chioggia (Venice lagoon, Italy).

Free light chains and heavy/light chains in monitoring POEMS patients.

Background: POEMS syndrome is defined by Polyneuropathy, Organomegaly, Endocrinopathy, Monoclonal gammopathy and Skin changes. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) appears to play a key role in the pathogenesis of the syndrome, and its concentrations are deemed to correlate to disease activity. The aim of the present study was to verify whether other biochemical markers including serum free light chains (FLC) and heavy/light chains (HLC) would be of value in monitoring POEMS patients.

An IgE multiple myeloma: contradictory findings in clinical laboratory testing.

Background: IgE multiple myeloma is a rare kind of plasma cell disorder, characterized by an aggressive clinical course, where laboratory testing plays a fundamental role for the correct diagnosis in order to start a targeted therapy. In the present paper it is described a case of IgE myeloma where contradictory findings between immunometric and separative techniques were found.

Materials And Methods: Serum and 24h urine samples were tested using electrophoresis and immunofixation electrophoresis employing IgE antiserum and IgE were quantified using an immunometric method.

Serum free light chain reference values: a critical approach.

Objectives: The clinical usefulness of serum free light chain (FLC) measurement in the management of patients with plasma cell proliferative disorders has been reported in several papers, and most clinical studies use the reference ranges declared by the manufacturer. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the reproducibility of FLCs immunoassay and to validate the reference range, before introducing it in routine setting.

Design And Methods: Internal quality control materials and a pool of fresh serum samples were used to evaluate imprecision; 162 fresh sera from healthy blood donors were analyzed to evaluate the reference range for FLCs.

Identification and quantification of hemoglobins in whole blood: the analytical and organizational aspects of Capillarys 2 Flex Piercing compared with agarose electrophoresis and HPLC methods.

Background: The present study was conducted to evaluate the analytical performance and the organizational aspects of Capillarys 2 Flex Piercing system (CFP) respect to agarose electrophoresis and HPLC methods in hemoglobinopathies screening.

Methods: The measurement of imprecision in HbA 2 and HbF quantification was verified on HbA 2 CFP control and on three samples; 74 whole blood samples were used to evaluate migration time imprecision of hemoglobin variants S, C and E (HbS, HbC, and HbE); to compare methods, 451 samples were tested on CFP and HPLC; reference values were verified as value distribution in 160 blood donors and at ROC curve analysis on 449 samples from routine analysis.

Results: Imprecision: the analytical CV % s ranged from 1.

The association of intrathecal immunoglobulin synthesis and cortical lesions predicts disease activity in clinically isolated syndrome and early relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Background: The intrathecal production of immunoglobulin (Ig) is a major biological feature of multiple sclerosis (MS), and immunopathological studies have suggested a primary role of the humoral immune response in causing irreversible brain damage.

Objective: To evaluate whether, in the early phases of MS, intrathecal Ig synthesis correlates with the presence of cortical lesions (CLs), and if their association could predict the clinical course of the disease.

Methods: Eighty-six patients presenting with symptoms and signs suggestive of MS underwent a diagnostic work-up that included magnetic resonance imaging and cerebrospinal fluid examination.

Performance characteristics of laboratory testing and clinical outcomes.

In order to demonstrate the relationship between performance characteristics of laboratory tests and clinical outcomes, diabetes seems to represent a paradigmatic disease: diagnosis, monitoring of therapeutic efficacy and prognosis are adequately achieved by means of laboratory testing. Starting from a simple molecule, glucose, used for the diagnosis of diabetes, continuing with creatinine, used for monitoring renal function in diabetic patients and concluding with cardiac troponins, a recognised gold standard for the diagnosis and risk stratification of cardiovascular diseases, several criticisms may be stressed considering the current methodological state-of-the art. Finally, an often overlooked aspect of performance, the analytical interferences, being responsible of unexpected results, that in turn depend from unknown or undisclosed factors will be discussed, concerning in particular, in our paper, the macroprolactin and the heterophilic antibodies aspects.

Heterophilic antibody interference in a non-endogenous molecule assay: an apparent elevation in the tacrolimus concentration.

Background: In drug monitoring assays the most common interferences are due to hematocrit, other drugs or their metabolites, while the interference by heterophilic antibodies has been reported only when measuring endogenous molecules. In the present paper a heterophilic antibody interference in the tacrolimus measurement is described.

Methods: Samples from a patient treated with tacrolimus were analyzed on RxL Dimension analyzer.

An expert system for the classification of serum protein electrophoresis patterns.

Background: With the improvement of capillary electrophoresis, much progress has been made in terms of sensitivity and automation, but the interpretation of the patterns, actually, depends totally on expert personnel. The aim of this work was to evaluate Neurosoft-Sebia, an expert system developed to discriminate between regular and anomalous serum protein electrophoresis patterns performed on Capillarys2.

Methods: Neurosoft-Sebia, based on six auto-associative neural networks, was trained to create the initial knowledge base.

Computer-assisted detection of monoclonal components: results from the multicenter study for the evaluation of CASPER (Computer Assisted Serum Protein Electrophoresis Recognizer) algorithm.

Background: To investigate the potential use of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) in the evaluation of serum protein electrophoresis, we set up a multicenter study involving six Italian laboratories. For this purpose, we developed an algorithm named CASPER (Computer Assisted Serum Protein Electrophoresis Recognizer).

Methods: A total of 59,516 samples from the six centers were divided into three groups.

Evaluation of a new capillary zone electrophoresis system for the identification and typing of Bence Jones Protein.

Objectives: Capillary electrophoresis has recently emerged as a new sensitive technique for the separation of urinary proteins. We evaluated a new method for Bence Jones Protein (BJP) detection and characterization on native urine samples by the Paragon CZE 2000 system. To avoid interference in electrophoretic separation, urine samples were preliminarily treated for the selective removal of interfering salt particles.

Anti-heparan sulphate antibodies and homocysteine in dementia: markers of vascular pathology?

Increasing evidence supports a pathogenic role of heparan sulphate (HS) in the development of dementia. Since HS proteoglycans are present in the endothelial cells and perivascular basement membrane, we wanted to assess blood titres of HS antibodies (Abs) in patients with vascular dementia (VD) and in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) with cerebrovascular disease (CVD) [mixed dementia (MixD)]. Moreover, plasma levels of homocysteine, an independent risk factor for the development of dementia as well as for CVD, were also determined.

Quantitative automated particle-enhanced immunonephelometric assay for the routinary measurement of human cystatin C.

Human cystatin C is a low molecular mass protein of 13359 Dalton recently proposed as a new very sensitive marker of changes in glomerular filtration rate. Serum cystatin C concentration correlates negatively with glomerular filtration rate as well as or better than creatinine. We evaluated a recently introduced automated nephelometric immunoassay for cystatin C in serum or EDTA-plasma samples on the Behring Nephelometer System.

A new immunoassay for the measurement of myoglobin in serum.

Because the concentration of serum myoglobin (Mb) increases within 2 to 4 hours after the first sign of acute myocardial infarction, it has been proposed as an early marker of the condition. Our aim was to evaluate a new assay that provides a rapid, quantitative determination of Mb (Baxter Stratus Myoglobin) based on the radial partition technique. We compared the results obtained by this technique with those from nephelometric and radioimmunoassay methods.