Increased concentrations of procalcitonin in patients with paracetamol intoxication.

Objectives: Paracetamol intoxication is one of the causes of elevated procalcitonin concentrations unrelated to infection. We report a case series of two patients intoxicated with paracetamol whose laboratory data revealed a significant elevation of serum procalcitonin concentrations without clinical, radiological and/or biological evidence of infection. The underlying mechanism by which paracetamol triggers an increase in procalcitonin concentrations is still unclear.

Predictive values of colon microbiota in the treatment response to colorectal cancer.

The crosstalk between the colon mucosa and the microbiota represents a complex and delicate equilibrium. Gastrointestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer (CRC) are associated with a state of altered microbiota composition known as dysbiosis, which seems to play a causative role in some of these illnesses. Recent reports have shown that the colorectal microbiome is responsible for the response and safety to treatments against CRC, especially immunotherapy, hence opening the possibility to use bacteria as a predictive marker and also as a therapeutic agent.

stability of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in plasma stored under different conditions when measured with the Lumipulse assay.

Natriuretic peptides are a laboratory tool with significant implications for the diagnosis and prognosis of heart failure (HF). The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) recommended that assays must be examined for sample stability because there appears to be assay dependent. We aimed to evaluate the stability of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) under different handling conditions and using a BNP assay from Fujirebio Diagnostics (Tokyo, Japan).