Detecting paraprotein interference on a direct bilirubin assay by reviewing the photometric reaction data

The direct bilirubin (D-Bil) assay on the AU Beckman Coulter instrumentation can be interfered by paraproteins, which may result in spurious D-Bil results. In a previous work, we took advantage of this fact to detect this interference, thus helping with the identification of patients with unsuspected monoclonal gammopathies. In this work, we investigate the possibility to detect interference based on the review of the photometric reactions, regardless of the D-Bil result. The D-Bil assay was carried out in a set of 2164 samples. It included a group of 164 samples with paraproteins (67 of which caused interference on the assay), as well as different groups of samples for which high absorbance background readings could also be expected (i.e. hemolyzed, lipemic, or icteric samples). Photometric reaction data were reviewed and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were used to establish a cut-off for absorbance that best discriminates interference. The best cut-off was 0.0100 for the absorbance at the first photometric point of the complementary wavelength in the blank cuvette. Once the optimal cut-off for probable interference was selected, all samples analyzed in our laboratory that provided absorbance values above this cut-off were further investigated to try to discover paraproteins. During a period of 6 months, we detected 44 samples containing paraproteins, five of which belonged to patients with non-diagnosed monoclonal gammopathies. Review of the photometric reaction data permits the systematic detection of paraprotein interference on the D-Bil AU assay, even for samples for which reasonable results are obtained

O laboratório clínico na exposição ao chumbo: do diagnóstico de intoxicação aguda ao rastreio neonatal? Um relatório de dois casos

The role of clinical laboratories in lead exposure has traditionally focused on the diagnosis of poisonings that pose a risk to human health. However, the last decades of the twentieth century saw an increase in public awareness of lead exposure, which prompted the banning of both lead-containing paint and petrol. As a result, acute lead poisonings are increasingly rare in industrialized countries. However, this is always a latent danger that clinicians should be aware of. As an example of this we describe two cases that we recently diagnosed at our laboratory.Even more worrying is confirming the harmful effects of lead on children, even at concentrations hitherto considered safe. This has renewed interest in the determination of this element in clinical laboratories in order to find and control all those pregnant women and children who might have blood lead levels above a suitable threshold value, which is currently set at 50 μg L-1 for both populations. If this situation becomes the norm, the role of clinical laboratories with respect to lead determination will undergo a major change. This possibility is discussed in this paper, together with a pilot program developed at our hospital for such purpose.El papel del laboratorio clínico en relación con la exposición al plomo se ha centrado clásicamente en el diagnóstico de intoxicaciones que pusiesen en peligro la salud humana. Sin embargo, la concienciación sobre la exposición a este elemento en las últimas décadas del siglo XX, que culminó con la prohibición de la utilización de la pintura y de la gasolina con plomo, ha conducido a que este tipo de intoxicaciones agudas sean cada vez más raras en los países industrializados. A pesar de ello, este es un peligro siempre latente que debe ser conocido por los clínicos. Como ejemplo se describen dos casos recientemente diagnosticados en nuestro laboratorio.Más preocupante es si cabe la constatación de los efectos perjudiciales que ejerce el plomo en niños, incluso en concentraciones que hasta ahora se consideraban seguras. Esto ha renovado el interés por la determinación de este elemento en los laboratorios clínicos para así poder detectar y controlar todas aquellas mujeres embarazadas y niños que puedan tener concentraciones de plomo en sangre por encima de un valor umbral de conveniencia, que actualmente se ha establecido en 50 μg L-1 para ambas poblaciones. Si esta situación se acaba imponiendo, el papel del laboratorio clínico con respecto a la determinación del plomo experimentará un importante cambio. Se discute dicha posibilidad junto con un programa piloto desarrollado en nuestro hospital con tal fin.O papel do laboratório clínico sobre a exposição ao chumbo tem tradicionalmente focado no diagnóstico de intoxicação que põe em perigo a saúde humana. No entanto, nas últimas décadas do século XX experimentou um aumento na consciência pública sobre a exposição ao chumbo, o que levou à proibição do uso de tintas e gasolina com chumbo. Como consequência, as intoxicações agudas chumbo são hoje em dia cada vez mais raras nos países industrializados. No entanto, este é sempre o perigo latente que deve ser conhecido pelos clínicos. Como exemplo, descrevemos dois casos recentemente diagnosticados em nosso laboratório.Hoje, talvez mais preocupante, é a constatação dos efeitos prejudiciais exercidos por chumbo em crianças, mesmo em concentrações até então considerados seguras. Este renovou o interesse na determinação deste elemento no laboratório clínico, a fim de detectar e controlar todas as mulheres grávidas e crianças que podem ter níveis de chumbo no sangue acima de um limite de conveniência, actualmente fixado em 50 μg L-1 para ambas as populações. Se esta situação acaba por impor, o papel dos laboratórios clínicos com relação a determinação de chumbo vai sofrer uma grande mudança. Esta possibilidade é discutida no presente documento, juntamente com um programa piloto desenvolvido em nosso hospital com tal fim

Incidental finding of rare hemoglobin: hemoglobin Bari in northeast Spain

Hemoglobin BariHemoglobina BariHemoglobina BariObjectives Cation exchange high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is one of the techniques available for determining glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and also the method of choice for structural hemoglobinopathies screening. The objective of this case is to show how in a routine HbA1c test it is possible to incidentally find a hemoglobinopathy. Case presentation In a routine blood analysis, an abnormal value for the hemoglobin A2 (HbA2) was obtained during the study of HbA1c with HPLC on the ADAMS™ A1c HA-8180T. After suspecting it could be due to the presence of a hemoglobinopathy, the study of possible variants was expanded using electrophoresis and HPLC on the Hydrasys and Variant II analysers, respectively. Since it could not be identified by these conventional methods, a genetic study was also carried out using Sanger sequencing. The patient presented a low HbA2 (1.3 %) and a 24.9 % variant with a retention time of 1.95 min, compatible with alpha-globin chain variant. In the genetic study, the pathogenic variant c.138C>G was detected in the HbA 2 gene in heterozygosis, which resulted in the expression of the structural hemoglobinopathy known as hemoglobin Bari. Conclusions The initial screening for structural hemoglobinopathies allows its identification or suspicion especially when it was performed with HbA1c analysis, requiring subsequent confirmation and diagnosis by other techniques

Hallazgo incidental de una hemoglobina rara: hemoglobina Bari en el noreste de España

Hemoglobina BariHemoglobina Barihemoglobin BariObjetivos La cromatografía líquida de alta resolución (HPLC) es una de las técnicas empleadas para determinar la hemoglobina glicosilada (HbA1c) y el método de elección para el cribado de hemoglobinopatías estructurales. El objetivo de este caso es mostrar cómo en un análisis de rutina de HbA1c es posible encontrar incidentalmente una hemoglobinopatía. Caso clínico En un análisis clínico rutinario, se observó un valor anormal de hemoglobina A2 (HbA2) en el análisis de HbA1c mediante HPLC, realizado con el analizador ADAMS™ A1c HA-8180T. Ante la sospecha de la presencia de una hemoglobinopatía, se amplió el estudio a posibles variantes mediante electroforesis y HPLC, empleando los analizadores Hydrasys y Variant II, respectivamente. Dado que no se pudo identificar con ninguno de los métodos tradicionales, se realizó también un estudio genético mediante secuenciación Sanger. El paciente presentaba niveles bajos de HbA2 (1.3%) y una variante del 24,9% con un tiempo de retención de 1.95 minutos, compatible con una variante de la cadena de alfa-globina. En el estudio genético, se detectó la variante patogénica c.138C>G en el gen HBA2 en heterocigosis, causando la expresión de la hemoglobinopatía conocida como hemoglobina Bari. Conclusiones El cribado inicial de hemoglobinopatías estructurales permite su identificación o suscita sospecha de su presencia, especialmente cuando se realiza junto al análisis de HbA1c, requiriendo posterior confirmación y diagnóstico con otras técnicas

Dietary diversity and depression: cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses in Spanish adult population with metabolic syndrome. Findings from PREDIMED-Plus trial

Objective: To examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal (2-year follow-up) associations between dietary diversity (DD) and depressive symptoms. Design: An energy-adjusted dietary diversity score (DDS) was assessed using a validated FFQ and was categorised into quartiles (Q). The variety in each food group was classified into four categories of diversity (C). Depressive symptoms were assessed with Beck Depression Inventory-II (Beck II) questionnaire and depression cases defined as physician-diagnosed or Beck II >= 18. Linear and logistic regression models were used. Setting: Spanish older adults with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Participants: A total of 6625 adults aged 55–75 years from the PREDIMED-Plus study with overweight or obesity and MetS. Results: Total DDS was inversely and statistically significantly associated with depression in the cross-sectional analysis conducted; OR Q4 v. Q1 = 0·76 (95 % CI (0·64, 0·90)). This was driven by high diversity compared to low diversity (C3 v. C1) of vegetables (OR = 0·75, 95 % CI (0·57, 0·93)), cereals (OR = 0·72 (95 % CI (0·56, 0·94)) and proteins (OR = 0·27, 95 % CI (0·11, 0·62)). In the longitudinal analysis, there was no significant association between the baseline DDS and changes in depressive symptoms after 2 years of follow-up, except for DD in vegetables C4 v. C1 = (β = 0·70, 95 % CI (0·05, 1·35)). Conclusions: According to our results, DD is inversely associated with depressive symptoms, but eating more diverse does not seem to reduce the risk of future depression. Additional longitudinal studies (with longer follow-up) are needed to confirm these findings.T The PREDIMED-Plus trial was supported by the European Research Council (Advanced Research Grant 2013-2018; 340918) grant to Miguel Angel Martinez-Gonzalez, and by the official funding agency for biomedical research of the Spanish Government, ISCIII through the Fondo de Investigacion para la Salud (FIS), which is cofunded by the European Regional Development Fund (four coordinated FIS projects led by Jordi Salas-Salvado and Josep Vidal), including the following projects: PI13/00673, PI13/00492, PI13/00272, PI13/01123, PI13/00462, PI13/00233, PI13/02184, PI13/00728, PI13/01090, PI13/01056, PI14/01722, PI14/00636, PI14/00618, PI14/00696, PI14/01206, PI14/01919, PI14/00853, PI14/01374, PI16/00473, PI16/00662, PI16/01873, PI16/01094, PI16/00501, PI16/00533, PI16/00381, PI16/00366, PI16/01522, PI16/01120, PI17/00764, PI17/01183, PI17/00855, PI17/01347, PI17/00525, PI17/01827, PI17/00532, PI17/00215, PI17/01441, PI17/00508, PI17/01732, PI17/00926, The Especial Action Project entitled: 'Implementacion y Evaluacion de una intervencion intensiva sobre la actividad fisica Cohorte PREDIMED-Plus' grant to Jordi Salas-Salvado, the Recercaixa grant to Jordi Salas-Salvado (2013ACUP00194), grants from the Consejeria de Salud de la Junta de Andalucia (PI0458/2013; PS0358/2016; PI0137/2018), the PROMETEO/2017/017 grant from the Generalitat Valenciana, the SEMERGEN grant, and CIBEROBN and FEDER funds (CB06/03), ISCIII. International Nut&Dried Fruit Council-FESNAD N degrees 201302: Miguel Angel Martinez-Gonzalez (PI). None of the funding sources took part in the design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. The corresponding author had full access to all the data in the study and had final responsibility to submit for publication

Dietary diversity and Depression: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses in Spanish adult population with Metabolic Syndrome. Findings from PREDIMED-PLUS Trial.

Objective: To examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal (2-year follow-up) associations between Dietary Diversity (DD) and depressive symptoms. Design: An energy-adjusted Dietary Diversity Score (DDS) was assessed using a validated food-frequency questionnaire and was categorized into quartiles (Q). The variety in each food group was classified into 4 categories of diversity (C). Depressive symptoms were assessed with Beck Depression Inventory-II (Beck II) questionnaire and depression cases defined as physician-diagnosed or Beck II>=18. Linear and logistic regression models were used. Setting: Spanish older adults with Metabolic Syndrome. Participants: A total of 6625 adults aged (55-75 years) from the PREDIMED-Plus study with overweight or obesity and MetS. Results: Total DDS was inversely and statistically significantly associated with depression in the cross-sectional analysis conducted; Odds Ratio (OR) Q4 vs Q1= 0.76 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.64, 0.90). This was driven by high diversity compared to low diversity (C3 vs. C1) of vegetables [OR (95%CI) = 0.75 (0.57, 0.93)], cereals [OR (95%CI) = 0.72 (0.56-0.94)] and proteins [OR (95%CI) = 0.27 (0.11, 0.62)]. In the longitudinal analysis, there was no significant association between the baseline DDS and changes in depressive symptoms after 2 y- of follow-up, except for DD in vegetables C4 vs C1= [β (95%CI) = 0.70 (0.05, 1.35)]. Conclusions: According to our results, DD is associated with the presence of depressive symptoms but eating more diverse does not seem to reduce the risk of future depression. Additional longitudinal studies (with longer follow-up period) are needed to confirm these findings

O laboratório clínico na exposição ao chumbo: do diagnóstico de intoxicação aguda ao rastreio neonatal? Um relatório de dois casos

El papel del laboratorio clínico en relación con la exposición al plomo se ha centrado clásicamente en el diagnóstico de intoxicaciones que pusiesen en peligro la salud humana. Sin embargo, la concienciación sobre la exposición a este elemento en las últimas décadas del siglo XX, que culminó con la prohibición de la utilización de la pintura y de la gasolina con plomo, ha conducido a que este tipo de intoxicaciones agudas sean cada vez más raras en los países industrializados. A pesar de ello, este es un peligro siempre latente que debe ser conocido por los clínicos. Como ejemplo se describen dos casos recientemente diagnosticados en nuestro laboratorio.Más preocupante es si cabe la constatación de los efectos perjudiciales que ejerce el plomo en niños, incluso en concentraciones que hasta ahora se consideraban seguras. Esto ha renovado el interés por la determinación de este elemento en los laboratorios clínicos para así poder detectar y controlar todas aquellas mujeres embarazadas y niños que puedan tener concentraciones de plomo en sangre por encima de un valor umbral de conveniencia, que actualmente se ha establecido en 50 μg L-1 para ambas poblaciones. Si esta situación se acaba imponiendo, el papel del laboratorio clínico con respecto a la determinación del plomo experimentará un importante cambio. Se discute dicha posibilidad junto con un programa piloto desarrollado en nuestro hospital con tal fin.The role of clinical laboratories in lead exposure has traditionally focused on the diagnosis of poisonings that pose a risk to human health. However, the last decades of the twentieth century saw an increase in public awareness of lead exposure, which prompted the banning of both lead-containing paint and petrol. As a result, acute lead poisonings are increasingly rare in industrialized countries. However, this is always a latent danger that clinicians should be aware of. As an example of this we describe two cases that we recently diagnosed at our laboratory.Even more worrying is confirming the harmful effects of lead on children, even at concentrations hitherto considered safe. This has renewed interest in the determination of this element in clinical laboratories in order to find and control all those pregnant women and children who might have blood lead levels above a suitable threshold value, which is currently set at 50 μg L-1 for both populations. If this situation becomes the norm, the role of clinical laboratories with respect to lead determination will undergo a major change. This possibility is discussed in this paper, together with a pilot program developed at our hospital for such purpose.O papel do laboratório clínico sobre a exposição ao chumbo tem tradicionalmente focado no diagnóstico de intoxicação que põe em perigo a saúde humana. No entanto, nas últimas décadas do século XX experimentou um aumento na consciência pública sobre a exposição ao chumbo, o que levou à proibição do uso de tintas e gasolina com chumbo. Como consequência, as intoxicações agudas chumbo são hoje em dia cada vez mais raras nos países industrializados. No entanto, este é sempre o perigo latente que deve ser conhecido pelos clínicos. Como exemplo, descrevemos dois casos recentemente diagnosticados em nosso laboratório.Hoje, talvez mais preocupante, é a constatação dos efeitos prejudiciais exercidos por chumbo em crianças, mesmo em concentrações até então considerados seguras. Este renovou o interesse na determinação deste elemento no laboratório clínico, a fim de detectar e controlar todas as mulheres grávidas e crianças que podem ter níveis de chumbo no sangue acima de um limite de conveniência, actualmente fixado em 50 μg L-1 para ambas as populações. Se esta situação acaba por impor, o papel dos laboratórios clínicos com relação a determinação de chumbo vai sofrer uma grande mudança. Esta possibilidade é discutida no presente documento, juntamente com um programa piloto desenvolvido em nosso hospital com tal fim

Incidental finding of rare hemoglobin: hemoglobin Bari in northeast Spain

Cation exchange high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is one of the techniques available for determining glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and also the method of choice for structural hemoglobinopathies screening. The objective of this case is to show how in a routine HbA1c test it is possible to incidentally find a hemoglobinopathy

Hallazgo incidental de una hemoglobina rara: hemoglobina Bari en el noreste de España

La cromatografía líquida de alta resolución (HPLC) es una de las técnicas empleadas para determinar la hemoglobina glicosilada (HbA1c) y el método de elección para el cribado de hemoglobinopatías estructurales. El objetivo de este caso es mostrar cómo en un análisis de rutina de HbA1c es posible encontrar incidentalmente una hemoglobinopatía

Impacts of diffuse urban stressors on stream benthic communities and ecosystem functioning: A review

Catchment urbanisation results in urban streams being exposed to a multitude of stressors. Notably, stressors originating from diffuse sources have received less attention than stressors originating from point sources. Here, advances related to diffuse urban stressors and their consequences for stream benthic communities are summarised by reviewing 92 articles. Based on the search criteria, the number of articles dealing with diffuse urban stressors in streams has been increasing, and most of them focused on North America, Europe, and China. Land use was the most common measure used to characterize diffuse stressor sources in urban streams (70.7 % of the articles characterised land use), and chemical stressors (inorganic nutrients, xenobiotics, metals, and water properties, including pH and conductivity) were more frequently reported than physical or biological stressors. A total of 53.3 % of the articles addressed the impact of urban stressors on macroinvertebrates, while 35.9 % focused on bacteria, 9.8 % on fungi, and 8.7 % on algae. Regarding ecosystem functions, almost half of the articles (43.5 %) addressed changes in community dynamics, 40.3 % addressed organic matter decomposition, and 33.9 % addressed nutrient cycling. When comparing urban and non-urban streams, the reviewed studies suggest that urbanisation negatively impacts the diversity of benthic organisms, leading to shifts in community composition. These changes imply functional degradation of streams. The results of the present review summarise the knowledge gained to date and identify its main gaps to help improve our understanding of urban streams.This study has received funding from the Iberian Association of Limnology (AIL) through the project URBIFUN (Urbanization effects on the relationship between microbial biodiversity and ecosystem functioning), awarded to Míriam Colls and Ferran Romero. Authors thank as well the Basque Government (Consolidated Research Group IT951-16) and the MERLIN project 101036337 – H2020-LC-GD-2020/H2020-LC-GD-2020-3.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio