Prognostic value of multiple reverse transcription-PCR tyrosinase testing for circulating neoplastic cells in malignant melanoma.

Background: The reverse transcription-PCR tyrosinase assay (TYR test) cannot reliably detect malignant melanoma (MM) cells in blood as the cells often circulate at low concentrations. We evaluated the prognostic value of multiple TYR testing, the prognostic significance of individual positive TYR test results (TYR+) in asymptomatic melanoma patients, and whether statistical analysis could help in the interpretation of results of a test that measures phenomena that typically occur below its detection threshold.

Methods: MM patients in stages I-IV (n = 150) underwent multiple testing with the TYR test during the course of their disease.

[Evaluation of the precision of the Friedewald's formula for the calculation of low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration in serum].

The low density lipoproteins (LDL) is one of the important risk factor of coronary heart disease. Evaluation of LDL by direct method of ultracentrifugation (U-LDL), which is the most proper one, is not available in standard laboratories. Instead the Friedewald's formula is commonly used (F-LDL), which calculates level of LDL applying the values of fasting total cholesterol (CH), cholesterol of high density lipoproteins (HDL) and triglicerydes (TG).

[Snoring and excessive daytime somnolence and risk of cardiovascular diseases].

Snoring and excessive daytime somnolence (EDS) are very common in middle-age adults. The goal of the investigation was to assess links between those symptoms and risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The population studied included 1186 inhabitants of Warsaw (mean age 52 years), participants of the international multicentre study of cardiovascular disease MONICA II, who completed the sleep disordered breathing (SDB) questionnaire.