In vitro diagnostic technology

BACKGROUND: Accurate reference intervals (RIs) based on a healthy pediatric population are essential for pediatric test result interpretation. The CALIPER project has recruited a large healthy cohort and completed a series of a priori studies to address gaps in pediatric RIs. As immunoassays from different manufacturers for endocrine and special chemistry markers are not standardized and show marked intermethod differences, direct RI studies are needed for each major analytical platform...

With the advent of immunotherapies for cancer, there is growing interest in the identification of tumor antigens. Tumor antigens are self-molecules altered through genetic mutations (neoantigens), protein truncation, protein misfolding or abnormal post translational modifications. To induce an immune response, tumor antigens need to be secreted into the tumor environment and presented to the immune system in the draining lymph nodes, resulting in the generation of tumor-specific effector cells and antibodies...

Circulating tumor cells (CTC) present in peripheral blood are assigned precursors of advanced tumor disease. Simplicity of blood withdrawal procedure adds practically an unlimited possibility of the CTC-monitoring and the advantages of the repeated biopsies over time. CTC got prognostic, predictive and diagnostic status with the technologic advance. Although the clinical utility of CTC has reached the high evidence, the significance of CTC testing was presented in the treatment strategy mostly with palliative intention...

Fluorescence lifetime (FLT) is a robust intrinsic property and material constant of fluorescent matter. Measuring this important physical indicator has evolved from a laboratory curiosity to a powerful and established technique for a variety of applications in drug discovery, medical diagnostics and basic biological research. This distinct trend was mainly driven by improved and meanwhile affordable laser and detection instrumentation on the one hand and the development of suitable FLT probes and biological assays on the other...

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a unique class of endogenous RNAs which could be used as potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of many diseases. Our study aimed to investigate circRNA profiles in human granulosa cells (GCs) during maternal aging and to uncover age-related circRNA variations that potentially reflect decreased oocyte competence. CircRNAs in GCs from in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients with young age (YA, ≤ 30 years) and advanced age (AA, ≥ 38 years) were profiled by microarray, and validated in 20 paired samples...

INTRODUCTION: A reliable method to assess midpalatal suture maturation to drive clinical decision-making, towards non-surgical or surgical expansion, in adolescent and young adult patients is needed. The objectives were to systematically review and evaluate what is known regarding contemporary methodologies capable of assessing midpalatal suture maturation in humans. METHODS: A computerized database search was conducted using Medline, PubMed, Embase and Scopus to search the literature up until October 5, 2016...

In vitro biosensors have been an integral component for early diagnosis of cancer in the clinic. Among them, no-wash biosensors, which only depend on the simple mixing of the signal generating probes and the sample solution without additional washing and separation steps, have been found to be particularly attractive. The outstanding advantages of facile, convenient, and rapid response of no-wash biosensors are especially suitable for point-of-care testing (POCT). One fast-growing field of no-wash biosensor design involves the usage of nanomaterials as signal amplification carriers or direct signal generating elements...

This review includes an analysis of the clinical studies evaluating reproductive outcome and adenomyosis, and a review of studies on reproductive outcome and surgical treatment options for adenomyosis. Strict diagnostic criteria and classification of disease are needed for an image diagnosis of adenomyosis. Studies of in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) populations and women with surgically treated deep endometriosis have suggested that adenomyosis has a negative impact on reproductive outcome, although there are substantial variations between studies...

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) treatment is a rapidly expanding and emerging technology for cancer treatment. Direct CAP jet irradiation is limited to the skin and it can also be invoked as a supplement therapy during surgery as it only causes cell death in the upper three to five cell layers. However, the current cannulas from which the plasma emanates are too large for intracranial applications. To enhance efficiency and expand the applicability of the CAP method for brain tumors and reduce the gas flow rate and size of the plasma jet, a novel micro-sized CAP device (µCAP) was developed and employed to target glioblastoma tumors in the murine brain...

In spite of apparent disparity between the specialties of radiological imaging, pathology and laboratory analysis, the medical diagnostic information that these sources provide have a lot in common and can be effectively utilized by sharing quantitative and qualitative results through modern information technology processes. Informaticsbased integration of radiological imaging, digital images of anatomical and molecular pathology and clinical laboratory results enables earlier, more sensitive and precise diagnosis, resulting in the more efficient treatment of patients...

Reproductive failure in humans is a very important social and economic problem, because nowadays women decide to conceive later in life and delay motherhood. Unfortunately, with increasing age they have less chance for natural fertilization and maintenance of pregnancy. Many of them need assisted reproductive technology. Approximately 10% of women after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfers experience recurrent implantation failure (RIF). Multiple factors may contribute to RIF, including oocyte and sperm quality, parental chromosomal anomalies, genetic or metabolic abnormalities of the embryo, poor uterine receptivity, immunological disturbances in the implantation site, and some gynecologic pathologies such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, hydrosalpinx and endometrial polyps...

Clostridium sordellii is a lethal pathogen for both animals and humans. Severe capillary leakage, toxic shock syndrome, and an extreme leukemoid reaction (LR), are hallmark features of C. sordellii infections and contribute to its high mortality rate. Here we report the discovery of a previously unknown and uncharacterized metalloproteinase of C. sordellii (referred as Mcs1) that cleaves human vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 in vitro, an adhesion molecule critical to hematopoietic precursor retention and leukocyte diapedesis...

Objectives: Magnesium sulfate (MgSO 4 ) was recently reported as an alternative in vitro anticoagulant in pseudo-thrombocytopenia. Its suitability as an anticoagulant for the determination of reliable platelet parameters is the subject of this study. Methods: Platelet count and mean platelet volume were measured in blood samples anticoagulated with EDTA and MgSO 4 and compared. The platelet parameters were determined by impedance (XE 5000 [Sysmex, Norderstedt, Germany]; DxH 800 [Beckman-Coulter, Krefeld, Germany]) and laser light-scatter technology (Advia 120 [Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Eschborn, Germany])...

The development of rapid and sensitive point-of-test devices for on-site monitoring of heavy-metal contamination has great scientific and technological importance. However, developing fast, inexpensive, and sensitive microarray sensors to achieve such a goal remains challenging. In this work, we present a DNA-nanostructured microarray (DNM) with a tubular three-dimensional sensing surface and an ordered nanotopography. This microarray enables enhanced molecular interaction toward the rapid and sensitive multiplex detection of heavy-metal ions...

BACKGROUND: Multi drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) poses formidable challenges to TB control due to its complex diagnostic and treatment challenges and often associated with a high rate of mortality. Accurate and rapid detection of MDR-TB is critical for timely initiation of treatment. Line Probe Assay (LPA) is a qualitative in vitro diagnostic test based on DNA-STRIP technology for the identification of the M. tuberculosis complex and its resistance to rifampicin (RMP) and/or isoniazid (INH)...

BACKGROUND: The adoption of recently created protocols introduces Mohs laboratories to the principles of immunohistochemistry (IHC) performance validation and clinical laboratory regulations that are unique to these evolving technologies. OBJECTIVE: To review Food and Drug Administration (FDA) IHC reagent classifications, IHC validation protocols, and quality assurance (QA) procedures and documentation needed in conjunction with IHC test guidelines. METHODS: A focused review of IHC reagent classifications and guidelines in clinical testing laboratories was conducted using PubMed and FDA source documents...

Low-dose radiation is widely used across the world for the diagnosis of many diseases by means of a variety of imaging technologies. However, the harmful effects of exposure to low-dose radiation during medical examination remain controversial. The authors studied the effects of medical diagnostic low-dose x rays (i.e., 0.03, 0.05, or 0.1 mGy) after an in vitro exposure of human lymphocytes. Cells with no irradiation served as the non-irradiated control group. Three biological indicators were used to determine the effects of medical diagnostic low-dose x rays at 4, 8, 24, 48, and 72 h post-irradiation...

Inspired by theranostic technologies, we electrostatically loaded proteinaceous microbubbles (MBs) with a model drug, doxorubicin (Dox) to couple their utilizations in diagnostic imaging with drug loading. A temperature-sensitive polymer, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-block-acrylic acid) (poly(NIPAM-b-AAc)) was used to encapsulate the Dox-loaded MBs to prevent premature release and to control the Dox release thermally. An LCST of 39°C, slightly higher than normal body temperatures, enables the release of Dox through a conformational change of the polymer shell upon moderate heating...

Some cases of fungal infection remained undiagnosed, especially when the pathogens are uncommon, require specific conditions for in vitro growth, or when several microbial species are present in the specimen. Ultra-Deep Sequencing (UDS) could be considered as a precise tool in the identification of involved pathogens in order to upgrade patient treatment. In this study, we report the implementation of UDS technology in medical laboratory during the follow-up of an atypical fungal infection case. Thanks to UDS technology, we document the first case of gastro-intestinal basidiobolomycosis (GIB) due to Basidiobolus meristosporus...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to summarize recent research regarding the diagnosis of allergic rashes and to suggest future directions for the promotion of accurate diagnosis and endotype specification. RECENT FINDINGS: Multiple cohort studies demonstrate that with appropriate clinical evaluation, drug allergy labels can be removed in up to 90% of cases. Genetic tests can predict severe adverse cutaneous drug reactions in some cases and in vitro tests are being sought to identify causative drugs in others...