This study aimed to examine whether the Canadian Laboratory Initiative on Pediatric Reference Intervals (CALIPER) reference intervals for 19 commonly used biochemical assays (potassium, sodium, ...chloride, calcium, magnesium, inorganic phosphorous, glucose, urea, creatinine, direct and total bilirubin, C-reactive protein (CRP), total protein, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LD)) could be applied to the newborn population of one Croatian clinical hospital.
Reference interval verification was performed according to the CLSI EP28-A3c guidelines. Samples of healthy newborns were selected using the direct
sampling method and analyzed on the Beckman Coulter AU680 biochemical analyzer. If verification wasn't satisfactory, further procedure included
determination of own reference intervals by analyzing 120 samples of healthy newborns.
After the first set of measurements, 14/19 tested reference intervals were adopted for use: calcium, inorganic phosphorous, glucose, urea, creatinine, total bilirubin, CRP, total protein, albumin, AST, ALT, GGT, ALP and LD. A second set of samples was tested for 5 analytes: potassium, sodium, chloride, magnesium and direct bilirubin. The verification results of the additional samples for sodium and chloride were satisfactory, while the results for potassium, magnesium and direct bilirubin remained unsatisfactory and new reference intervals were determined.
The CALIPER reference intervals can be implemented into routine laboratory and clinical practice for the tested newborn population for most of the analyzed assays, while own reference intervals for potassium, magnesium and direct bilirubin have been determined.
To diagnostically validate two point-of-care (POC) rapid antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 by comparing their results with those of laboratory-based real-time polymerase chain reaction tests (RT-PCR).
The ...study enrolled 455 patients from two Slovenian and two Croatian hospitals. The NADAL COVID-19 Ag Test (Nal von Minden, Moers, Germany) and ALLTEST COVID-19 Antigen Test (Hangzhou ALLTEST Biotech Co., Ltd, Hangzhou, China) were diagnostically validated in emergency care departments of two Slovenian hospitals, while only ALLTEST COVID-19 Antigen Test was validated in two Croatian hospitals.
The antigen test results were in very good agreement with the RT-PCR results (Cohen's Kappa between 0.747 and 0.891 for the NADAL COVID-19 and between 0.820 and 0.954 for the ALLTEST COVID-19). The NADAL COVID-19 Ag Test had the sensitivity between 66.67% and 92.31%, with a negative predictive value between 85.51% and 99.2%. The ALLTEST COVID-19 Antigen Test had the sensitivity between 81.39% and 91.11%, with a negative predictive value between 85.45% and 98.78%.
The antigen tests are practical and reliable screening assays for SARS CoV-2 in emergency care departments. Both antigen tests can be used as screening tests to reduce the number of patients waiting for RT-PCR results. Even more, they can be used to quickly isolate COVID-19 patients and reduce hospital transmissions.
Effective implementation and continual compliance with ISO 15189:2012 require ongoing commitment and active involvement of laboratory staff. Our aim was to assess attitudes regarding accreditation ...implementation by conducting a survey in three Croatian accredited medical laboratories.
An anonymous survey consisting of 34 questions was distributed either electronically or in a paper form a week prior to scheduled annual audits. Distributions of answers regarding age, work experience, laboratory workplace, and education level and according to the respective laboratory were compared.
The overall response rate was 76% (225/297). Preference towards working in an accredited laboratory and a positive attitude were revealed by 70% and 56% participants, respectively, with better process documentation as the main advantage. Only 14% of responders considered themselves completely familiar with ISO 15189:2012. Total of 68% of responders felt that accreditation increases the usual workload, with excessive paperwork as the main contributor. Half of the responders declared partial agreement that accreditation requirements and expectations were clearly explained and claimed that their suggestions were taken into account only occasionally, which was especially emphasized by technical staff. The vast majority (89%) completely follow the prescribed protocols. Only 27% consider turnaround time monitoring useful. Competence assessment is considered efficient by 41% of responders. The majority (73%) prefer an online audit in times of COVID-19.
Despite an overall positive attitude towards accreditation, further efforts are needed in providing better education about ISO 15189:2012 for technical staff and modifying formats of competence assessment, in order to achieve better adherence to ISO 15189:2012 requirements.
Sindrom mijelodisplazije ili mijelodisplastični sindrom (MDS) naziv je za skupinu heterogenih klonskih hematoloških poremećaja hematopoetskih matičnih stanica, praćenih neučinkovitom hematopoezom ...jedne ili više staničnih linija i pojavom posljedičnih citopenija s povišenim rizikom od progresije u akutnu mijeloičnu leukemiju (AML). Mikroglasničke ribonukleinske kiseline (miRNK; engl. Micro Messenger Ribonucleic Acid – miRNA) kratke su, nekodirajuće molekule RNK koje, osim što pridonose patogenezi MDS-a, djeluju i kao regulatori epigenetičkih mehanizama i potencijalni su prognostički biljezi za ranu dijagnostiku i klasifikaciju MDS-a. Cilj je rada bilo ispitivanje razine promjene genskih ekspresija specifičnih miRNK (hsa-miR-125a, hsa-miR-99b, hsa-miR 126 i hsa-miR-125b) u plazmi zdravih dobrovoljaca i ispitanika s dijagnozom MDS-a. Ispitivanje se provodilo u Kliničkom zavodu za medicinsku biokemiju i laboratorijsku medicinu Kliničke bolnice Merkur, akreditiranome prema normi EN ISO 15189:2012. Genske ekspresije navedenih, specifičnih miRNK određene su u uzorcima plazme zdravih dobrovoljaca (4) i ispitanika s MDS-om (33) kojima je on dijagnosticiran u Zavodu za hematologiju Klinike za unutarnje bolesti Kliničke bolnice Merkur, Referentnom centru Ministarstva zdravlja Republike Hrvatske za dijagnostiku i liječenje MDS-a. Statistički značajne razlike genske ekspresije specifičnih miRNK u zdravih dobrovoljaca u odnosu prema ispitanicima s MDS-om nisu nađene P (hsa-miR-125a) = 0,398; P (hsa miR-99b) = 0,134; P (hsa-miR-126) = 0,305; P (hsa-miR-125b) = 0,079, a razina promjene genskih ekspresija miRNK (engl. miRNA ratios) hsa-miR-125a i hsa-miR-99b u ispitanika s MDS-om bila je gotovo dva puta viša u odnosu prema normaliziranim razinama genske ekspresije u zdravih dobrovoljaca (2,30 prema 1,90) i više od dva puta viša od razine promjene genske ekspresije miRNK hsa-miR-125b. Rezultati istraživanja upućuju na to da bi genske ekspresije miRNK hsa-miR-125a i hsa-miR-99b mogle biti regulirane istim mehanizmom i da bi mogle biti klinički važne u ispitanika s MDS-om.
Mijelodisplastični sindrom (MDS) klonski je poremećaj krvotvorne matične stanice karakteriziran neučinkovitom hematopoezom i citopenijom u perifernoj krvi, a u oko trećine bolesnika može doći do ...progresije poremećaja u akutnu mijeloičnu leukemiju (AML). Dijagnoza MDS-a postavlja se nakon analize periferne krvi i koštane srži, a ovisno o postotku blasta u koštanoj srži, broju citopenija te citogenetičkim abnormalnostima, određuju se prognostički indeksi (engl. International Prognostic Scoring System – IPSS, Revised International Prognostic
Scoring System – IPSS-R, WHO Prognostic Scoring System – WPSS). Dosad su provedena brojna istraživanja o molekularnim mehanizmima i epigenetičkim putovima u mijelodisplastičnom sindromu te njihovu prognostičkom i terapijskom značenju, ali je malo studija o važnosti mikroRNK (miRNK) u MDS-u. U posljednjih nekoliko godina objavljeni su brojni rezultati o utjecaju aberantnog izražaja miRNK u malignim poremećajima, pri čemu su se miRNK-i pokazali kao geni koji suprimiraju tumor ili onkogeni. U pojedinim su tumorima miRNK-i prepoznati kao dijagnostički i prognostički parametri te mogući terapijski ciljevi. U ovom radu donosimo pregled dosadašnjih rezultata o ulozi miRNK u MDS-u.
Follicular lymphoma is composed of clonal germinal center B cells. It shows a follicular pattern lacking mantle zones, with a network of interfollicular dendritic cells. Transformation to more ...aggressive lymphomas is documented, but the only connections to mantle cell lymphoma are described cases of composite lymphoma consisting of these 2 entities. We discuss here a case of a lymph node harboring CD20, CD10, BCL2, BCL6, cyclin D1, CD5, Ki67, and SOX11 with CD21, showing an almost intact network of dendritic cells in one part of a lymph node, and CD20, CD5, SOX11, BCL6, cyclin D1, CD10, Ki67, and CD21 cells restricted to the mantle area in another part of the same lymph node. Both parts of the lymph node had BCL2 rearrangement, a lack of t(11:14)(q13;q32), the presence of SOX11 expression, and the same clonal band. The described case suggests heterogenous development of small cell lymphomas and indicates the possibility of differentiation regression.
Procjena botaničkog sastava pašnjaka na različitim područjima s posebnim osvrtom na udjele terpena, koji osim učinka na terpenski
profil arome mesa preživača mogu imati i potencijalni ...imunomodulacijski učinak, od bitnog je interesa suvremenog ovčarstva u R. Hrvatskoj. U istraživanjima u okviru ovog rada, pokazano je da ljekovite svojte bogate terpenima poput gospine trave (Hypericum perforatum L.), stolisnika (Achillea millefolium L.) i matičnjaka (Melissa officinalis L.) zbog statistički značajno veće učestalosti, gustoće i pokrovnosti na pašnjacima Velike Crkvine, u odnosu na pašnjake u Kvarte, potencijalno utječu na bolji imunosni status ovaca. Stoga su u ovom radu dobiveni rezultati znanstvena
preporuka za daljnju procjenu biljnog sastava pašnjaka u Velikoj Crkvini tijekom istraživanja HRZZ projekta IP-2016-06-3685 u cilju postizanja dodatnih saznanja o učinku terpena na zdravlje i aroma sastav janjećeg mesa i to sve u svrhu proizvodnje inovativnih
funkcionalnih proizvoda od janjećeg mesa.
This paper shows a protocol for the detection of ZAP-70 expression in B-CLL (B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia) tumor cells by common immunohistochemical methods. The study was conducted on bone ...marrow trephine biopsies from 62 B-CLL patients at the time of diagnosis. Immunohistochemical reactions based on peroxidase and alkaline phosphatase reactions were used, as well as double immunofluorescent labeling for ZAP-70 detection as an indirect marker of mutated and unmutated CLL. Clinical relevance of the ZAP-70 expression detection method was assessed using χ ² test between ZAP-70 positivity data and other known prognostic factors, i.e., clinical and cytogenetics data. ZAP-70 was detected in 13 out of 62 patients. Statistically significant results were obtained for ZAP-70 positive cases and known indicators of worse prognosis. Immunohistochemical analysis supported by double immunfluorescent labeling, as shown here, is an easy and reliable technique for the detection of ZAP-70 expression in B-CLL tumor cells applicable in every hematopathology laboratory.