Presejalno testiranje novorojenčkov (PTN) je ena svetovnih javnozdravstvenih zgodb o uspehu. Izvaja se v veliki večini razvitih držav sveta, razlikuje pa se le po obsegu in usmeritvah testiranja. ...Najbolj obsežni programi presejalnega testiranja na svetu obsegajo testiranje na več kot 50 različnih bolezni. PTN v Sloveniji je ključni del javnozdravstvenega sistema s pričetkom v letu 1979 s testiranjem na fenilketonurijo. V letu 1981 se je dodalo testiranje na kongenitalno hipotirozo. Program se je razvijal in širil z uvedbo novih tehnologij, kot so masna spektrometrija za bolezni presnove in imunoreaktivni ter genetski testi za bolezni, kot so cistična fibroza, kongenitalna adrenalna hiperplazija, spinalna mišična atrofija in primarne imunske pomanjkljivosti. Odvzem vzorca, posušen madež krvi na filter papirju, omogoča enostaven transport v laboratorij Pediatrične klinike v Ljubljani, kjer poteka analiza. Strokovno izvedeni odvzem, ki ga opravi osebje porodnišnic, zagotavlja ustrezno kakovost vzorcev in je pogoj za uspešno izvedbo testiranja. Vključenost v program je univerzalna za vse novorojenčke, z možnostjo zavrnitve s strani staršev. Do danes smo v Sloveniji uspešno odkrili in zdravili več 100 novorojenčkov, kar potrjuje njegov pomen. Z odkritjem novih zdravil in terapij bo obseg PTN naraščal. Uspešnost programa pa je neposredno odvisna od sinergije sodelujočih skupin – porodnišnic, pediatrične klinike in laboratorija.
In contrast to population-based medical decision making, which emphasizes the use of evidence-based treatment strategies for groups of patients, personalized medicine is based on optimizing treatment ...at the level of the individual patient. The creation of molecular profiles of individual patients was made possible by the advent of “omics” technologies, based on high throughput instrumental techniques in combination with biostatistics tools and artificial intelligence. The goal of personalized laboratory medicine is to use advanced technologies in the process of preventive, curative or palliative patient management. Personalized medicine does not rely on changes in concentration of a single molecular marker to make a therapeutic decision, but rather on changes of a profile of markers characterizing an individual patient’s status, taking into account not only the expected response to treatment of the disease but also the expected response of the patient. Such medical approach promises a more effective diagnostics with more effective and safer treatment, as well as faster recovery and restoration of health and improved cost effectiveness. The laboratory medicine profession is aware of its key role in personalized medicine, but to empower the laboratories, at least an enhancement in cooperation between disciplines within laboratory medicine will be necessary.
Phenylketonuria (PKU) was the first disease to be identified by the newborn screening (NBS) program. Currently, there are various methods for determining phenylalanine (Phe) values, with tandem mass ...spectrometry (MS/MS) being the most widely used method worldwide. We aimed to compare the MS/MS method with the fluorometric method (FM) for measuring Phe in the dried blood spot (DBS) and the efficacy of both methods in the NBS program. The FM was performed using a neonatal phenylalanine kit and a VICTOR2
D fluorometer. The MS/MS method was performed using a NeoBase
2 kit and a Waters Xevo TQD mass spectrometer. The Phe values measured with the MS/MS method were compared to those determined by the FM. The cut-off value for the NBS program was set at 120 µmol/L for FM and 85 µmol/L for MS/MS. We analyzed 54,934 DBS. The measured Phe values varied from 12 to 664 µmol/L, with a median of 46 µmol/L for the MS/MS method and from 10 to 710 µmol/L, with a median of 70 µmol/L for the FM. The Bland-Altman analysis indicated a bias of -38.9% (-23.61 µmol/L) with an SD of 21.3% (13.89 µmol/L) when comparing the MS/MS method to the FM. The Phe value exceeded the cut-off in 187 samples measured with FM and 112 samples measured with MS/MS. The FM had 181 false positives, while the MS/MS method had 106 false positives. Our study showed that the MS/MS method gives lower results compared to the FM. Despite that, none of the true positives would be missed, and the number of false-positive results would be significantly lower compared to the FM.
Newborn screening was first introduced at the beginning of the 1960s with the successful implementation of the first phenylketonuria screening programs. Early expansion of the included disorders was ...slow because each additional disorder screened required a separate test. Subsequently, the technological advancements of biochemical methodology enabled the scaling-up of newborn screening, most notably with the implementation of tandem mass spectrometry. In recent years, we have witnessed a remarkable progression of high-throughput sequencing technologies, which has resulted in a continuous decrease of both cost and time required for genetic analysis. This has enabled more widespread use of the massive multiparallel sequencing. Genomic sequencing is now frequently used in clinical applications, and its implementation in newborn screening has been intensively advocated. The expansion of newborn screening has raised many clinical, ethical, legal, psychological, sociological, and technological concerns over time. This review provides an overview of the current state of next-generation sequencing regarding newborn screening including current recommendations and potential challenges for the use of such technologies in newborn screening.
In the last two decades, the introduction of tandem mass spectrometry in clinical laboratories has enabled simultaneous testing of numerous acylcarnitines and amino acids from dried blood spots for ...detecting many aminoacidopathies, organic acidurias and fatty acid oxidation disorders. The expanded newborn screening was introduced in Slovenia in September 2018. Seventeen metabolic diseases have been added to the pre-existing screening panel for congenital hypothyroidism and phenylketonuria, and the newborn screening program was substantially reorganized and upgraded.
Tandem mass spectrometry was used for the screening of dried blood spot samples. Next-generation sequencing was introduced for confirmatory testing. Existing heterogeneous hospital information systems were connected to the same laboratory information system to allow barcode identification of samples, creating reports, and providing information necessary for interpreting the results.
In t he first y ear of t he expanded newborn screening a total of 15,064 samples w ere screened. Four patients were confirmed positive with additional testing.
An expanded newborn screening program was successfully implemented with the first patients diagnosed before severe clinical consequences.
Background Our aim was to determine whether child attachment to parents, parent attachment style, and morning cortisol levels were related to diabetes outcomes measured by average glycated hemoglobin ...(HbA1c), HbA1c variability over 4 years and time in range (TIR) in children with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Research design and methods 101 children with T1D and one of their parents were assessed at baseline for child attachment (Child Attachment Interview; CAI) and parent attachment (Relationship Structures Questionnaire; ECR-RS). Serum samples were collected for cortisol measurements before the interviews. HbA1c levels were measured during a 4-year follow-up period at regular 3-monthly visits, and data for TIR were exported from blood glucose measuring devices. Multivariate linear regression models were constructed to identify independent predictors of glycemic outcomes. Results More girls than boys exhibited secure attachment to their mothers. The results of the regression models showed that securely attached girls (CAI) had higher average HbA1c than did insecurely attached girls (B = -0.64, p = 0.03). In boys, the more insecure the parent's attachment style, the worse the child's glycemic outcome: the higher the average Hb1Ac (B = 0.51, p = 0.005), the higher the HbA1c variability (B = 0.017, p = 0.011), and the lower the TIR (B = -8.543, p = 0.002). Conclusions Attachment in close relationships is associated with glycemic outcomes in children with T1D, and we observed significant differences between sexes. A sex- and attachment-specific approach is recommended when treating children with less favorable glycemic outcomes. Special attention and tailored support should be offered to securely attached girls in transferring responsibility for diabetes care and at least to male children of insecurely attached parents to prevent suboptimal glycemic control. Further studies in larger samples and more daily cortisol measurements may help us better understand the links between stress response, attachment and T1D. Keywords: Attachment, Childhood and adolescence, Diabetes control, Time in range, Cortisol
Abstract
The expanded hexanucleotide GGGGCC repeat mutation in the
C9orf72
gene is the main genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Under one disease mechanism, ...sense and antisense transcripts of the repeat are predicted to bind various RNA-binding proteins, compromise their function and cause cytotoxicity. Here we identify phenylalanine-tRNA synthetase (FARS) subunit alpha (FARSA) as the main interactor of the CCCCGG antisense repeat RNA in cytosol. The aminoacylation of tRNA
Phe
by FARS is inhibited by antisense RNA, leading to decreased levels of charged tRNA
Phe
. Remarkably, this is associated with global reduction of phenylalanine incorporation in the proteome and decrease in expression of phenylalanine-rich proteins in cellular models and patient tissues. In conclusion, this study reveals functional inhibition of FARSA in the presence of antisense RNA repeats. Compromised aminoacylation of tRNA could lead to impairments in protein synthesis and further contribute to
C9orf72
mutation-associated pathology.
As children spend up to 9 h a day in kindergarten, the main purpose of our study was to evaluate the effect of antioxidant-rich kindergarten meals on oxidative stress biomarkers (OSBs) in healthy ...children. In the randomized control trial with a follow-up, healthy 5–6-year-old children from six kindergartens were randomly divided into a prototype group (PG,
n
= 40) and a control group (CG,
n
= 17). PG followed a 2-week antioxidant-rich kindergarten meal plan (breakfast, lunch, and two snacks), and CG followed their standard kindergarten meal plans. Outside the kindergartens, participants ate as usual. We used a consecutive 7-day dietary record inside and outside the kindergarten and the national dietary assessment tool OPEN to assess the total dietary antioxidant capacity (dTAC) of the consumed foods. Malondialdehyde (MDA), 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and four F2-isoprostane were measured in fasting urine on days 1 and 15. We also measured total antioxidant power (PAT) and hydroperoxides (d-ROMs) in fasting serum on day 15 and obtained the value of the oxidative stress index (OSI). We used a Welch two-sample
t
-test and multiple regression analysis to compare the prototype and control groups and a nonparametric Wilcoxon signed rank exact test to compare pre- and post-intervention results in urine. Antioxidant-rich kindergarten meals contributed to a significantly (
p
< 0.05) higher intake of dTAC in PG participants compared to standard meals in CG participants (8.6 vs. 2.8 mmol/day). We detected a negative correlation between dTAC intake and d-ROMs and between dTAC intake and OSI (
r
= − 0.29,
p
= 0.043 and
r
= − 0.31,
p
= 0.032, respectively). A significant decrease in urinary 8-iso-15-prostaglandin-F-2 alpha was detected in PG participants between days 1 and 15; however, no other intra-individual significant differences in urinary OSBs were found.
Conclusion
: Antioxidant-rich food in kindergarten is warranted due to its potential health-protective effect. Additionally, we present original data on the average levels of urinary and serum OSBs in healthy 5–6-year-old children.
Trial registration
: The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, on February 5, 2020 (
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04252105
).
What is Known:
• Kindergartens are recognized as promising environments for public health measures.
• A diet rich in antioxidants can reduce OSBs and, consequently, the risk of developing NCDs.
What is New:
• Antioxidant-rich kindergarten diet can ensure a protective intake of dTAC in children.
• Original data on serum oxidative stress biomarkers (d-ROMs, PAT, and OSI) and urinary oxidative stress biomarkers (MDA, 8-OHdG, and F2 isoprostanes) in healthy 5–6-year-old children.
Phenylketonuria (PKU) was the first disorder for which newborn screening (NBS) was introduced in the early 1960s. Slovenia started the NBS program for PKU in 1979, and the fluorimetric method was ...implemented in 1992, with a phenylalanine (Phe) cut-off set at 120 mol/L. This value has been in use for almost thirty years and has never been revised. We aimed to analyze the DBS samples and review the data from a large nationwide cohort of newborns to optimize the cut-off values for HFA screening to minimize the number of false positives while maintaining the highest level of sensitivity by detecting all those who needed to be treated. In the first prospective part of the study, we analyzed samples of all newborns in Slovenia in 2019 and 2020, and in the second retrospective part, we reviewed data from all known patients with hyperphenylalaninemia (HFA) in Slovenia born from 2000 to 2018. We defined true screening-positive cases as those that required a low-Phe diet. The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive values of the modeling elevation of the Phe cut-off value from 120 µmol/L to 200 µmol/L were assessed. The number of recalls at the cut-off of 120 µmol/L was 108 out of 37,784 samples at NBS (2019-2020). Six newborns were defined as true positives and 102 samples as false positives. If the cut-off value was adjusted to 160 µmol/L, only 12 samples exceeded it and all six true positive newborns would be detected. Among the 360,000 samples collected at the NBS between 2000 and 2018, 72 HFA patients in need of a low-Phe diet were found. All the diagnosed cases would have been detected if the cut-off was set to 160 µmol/L. We demonstrated in a large group of newborns (400,000 in 20 years) that using the fluorimetric approach, a cut-off value of 160 µmol/L, rather than 120 mol/L, is safe and that there were no missing true positive patients who required treatment. By increasing the cut-off, this method becomes more precise, resulting in a significantly reduced rate of false positives and thus being less burdensome on both families and the healthcare system.
Precise quantification of amino acids (AAs) is mandatory for successful diagnosis and monitoring of patients with metabolic diseases. We compared ion-exchange chromatography (IEC) and liquid ...chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), the two methods most commonly used in clinical laboratories for the quantification of AAs in physiological samples.
123 apparently healthy children were selected for the study. The plasma samples for LC-MS/MS were prepared accordingly to the aTRAQ Kit for Physiological Fluids on Sciex 3200 Qtrap, for IEC according to the protocol from Pickering laboratories on the AA analyzer Pinnacle PCX. Results were interpreted using the Pearson correlation coefficient and the percent difference Bland-Altman test.
The Spearman correlation coefficients of the 14 AAs that we evaluated varied from 0.67 in Tau to 0.89 in Leu and Thr. The mean differences in measurements (IEC compared to LC-MS/MS) of 11 AAs complied with our acceptance criterion of <15%, the differences of Ser and Tyr were higher (19.5% and −19.0%, respectively), and the measured concentrations of Cit were much lower in LC-MS/MS than IEC (31% difference).
The two methods are sufficiently comparable for most AAs and the reference values for individual AAs did not have to be refined, with the exception of citrulline. For the monitoring of patients on therapy (e.g. patients with phenylketonuria), it is still advisable to always use the same analytical method for the quantification of AAs.
•We compared ion-exchange chromatography (IEC) and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).•Accuracy and precision of all the 14 AAs satisfied the conditions for clinical laboratory use with RSDs and TE <15%.•The Spearman correlation coefficients of the 14 AAs that we evaluated varied from 0.67 to 0.89.•The mean differences in measurements of 11 AAs complied with our acceptance criterion of <15%, except Ser, Tyr and Cit.•The two methods are sufficiently comparable for most AAs, with the exception of citrulline.
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