Clinical Chemistry back issues from March 2007:
Relationship between Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Type 2 Diabetes: Evidence of Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Mar 01, 2007; ... Background: We examined the pathogenesis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in a large Dutch multiethnic cohort. Methods: We used a 2-step testing procedure to stratify 2031 consecutive pregnant women into 4 groups according to American Diabetes Association criteria: (a) normal ...
Evaluation of the Risk for Tay-Sachs Disease in Individuals of French Canadian Ancestry Living in New England
Mar 01, 2007; ... Background: The assessment of risk for Tay-Sachs disease (TSD) in individuals of French Canadian background living in New England is an important health issue. In preliminary studies of the enzyme-defined carrier frequency for TSD among Franco-Americans in New England, we found frequencies ...
High-Throughput Microtiter Well-Based Chemiluminometric Genotyping of 15 HBB Gene Mutations in a Dry-Reagent Format
Mar 01, 2007; ... Background: Hemoglobinopathies are the most common inherited diseases worldwide. Various methods for genotyping of hemoglobin, beta (HBB) gene mutations have been reported, but there is need for a high sample-throughput, cost-effective method for simultaneous screening of several mutations. We ...
Clinical Urinary Peptidomics: Learning to Walk Before We Can Run
Mar 01, 2007; ... The "urinary peptidome" promises to be a resource at least as dynamic and informative as the "urinary proteome". Given that neither approach has so far given up many clinical pearls, this may not be saying much. But one likely pathway for urinary peptidomics is set out in the paper by Fiedler et ...
Standardized Peptidome Profiling of Human Urine by Magnetic Bead Separation and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry
Mar 01, 2007; ... Background: Peptidome profiling of human urine is a promising tool to identify novel disease-associated biomarkers; however, a wide range of preanalytical variables influence the results of peptidome analysis. Our aim was to develop a standardized protocol for reproducible urine peptidome ...
Cell-Free Fetal DNA in Amniotic Fluid: Unique Fragmentation Signatures in Euploid and Aneuploid Fetuses
Mar 01, 2007; ... Background: Circulating cell-free fetal deoxyribonucleic acids (cffDNA) are novel biomarkers with many clinical applications. Amniotic fluid (AF) is a rich source of cffDNA. We investigated the biophysical characteristics of cffDNA in AF, hypothesizing that they would differ from cffDNA in ...
Discovery of Candidate Tumor Markers for Prostate Cancer via Proteomic Analysis of Cell Culture-Conditioned Medium
Mar 01, 2007; ... Objective: Prostate-specific antigen measurement, widely used for early detection of prostate cancer (CaP), suffers from low specificity. Additional tumor markers are needed for the early detection of clinically relevant CaP. Our objective was to perform a qualitative proteomic analysis of ...
Amino-Terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide, Brain Natriuretic Peptide, and Troponin T for Prediction of Mortality in Acute Heart Failure
Mar 01, 2007; ... Background: Combining testing for natriuretic peptides [amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP)] and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) may help predict mortality in patients with acute heart failure (HF). Methods: We studied 209 patients with ...
Cell-Free mRNA Concentrations of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 and Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator Are Increased in the Plasma of Pregnant Women with Preeclampsia
Mar 01, 2007; ... Background: Detection of placental mRNA in maternal plasma has been reported in high-risk pregnancies. We attempted to investigate the concentrations of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) mRNA in maternal plasma in preeclampsia. Methods: ...
Identification of a New Metabolite of Astilbin, 3'-O-Methylastilbin, and Its Immunosuppressive Activity against Contact Dermatitis
Mar 01, 2007; ... Background: Astilbin is a flavonoid isolated from the rhizome of Smilax glabra. In a previous study, we revealed its unique immunosuppressive activity, a selective inhibition against activated T lymphocytes. This characteristic of astilbin is beneficial for the treatment of human immune ...
Processing-Independent Quantitation of Chromogranin A in Plasma from Patients with Neuroendocrine Tumors and Small-Cell Lung Carcinomas
Mar 01, 2007; ... Background: Most neuroendocrine tumors express chromogranin A (CgA). The posttranslational processing of neuroendocrine proteins such as CgA is often specific for the individual tumor. To cope with this variability and improve tumor diagnosis, we developed a processing-independent analysis (PIA) ...
Relationships of Circulating Carotenoid Concentrations with Several Markers of Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, and Endothelial Dysfunction: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA)/Young Adult Longitudinal Trends in Antioxidants (YALTA) Study
Mar 01, 2007; ... Background: Serum carotenoid concentrations relate inversely to cardiovascular disease incidence. To clarify the effect of carotenoids on atherosclerotic risk factors, we examined the association of circulating carotenoids with inflammation, oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, and ...
Relationship Between C-Reactive Protein and Atherosclerotic Risk Factors and Oxidative Stress Markers Among Young Persons 10-18 Years Old
Mar 01, 2007; ... Background: This study was undertaken to determine the association of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) with generalized and abdominal obesity, body fat composition, the metabolic syndrome, and oxidative stress markers among young people. Methods: We conducted a population-based study of ...
Cystatin C and Estimates of Renal Function: Searching for a Better Measure of Kidney Function in Diabetic Patients
Mar 01, 2007; ... Background: Early identification of impairment in renal function is crucial in diabetic patients. Serum cystatin C may be the most sensitive indicator of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in the clinical setting. Methods: We compared cystatin C with creatinine, the Cockcroft-Gault (C-G) ...
Time-Resolved Immunofluorometric Dual-Label Assay for Simultaneous Detection of Autoantibodies to GAD65 and IA-2 in Children with Type I Diabetes
Mar 01, 2007; ... Background: Autoantibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GADAs), specifically the 65-kDa isoform GAD65, and autoantibodies to the protein tyrosine phosphatase-like molecule IA-2 (IA-2As) predict development of diabetes. Our aim was to develop a time-resolved immunofluorometric (TR-IFMA) ...
HPLC-Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization MS/MS for Quantification of 15-F^sub 2t^-Isoprostane in Human Urine and Plasma
Mar 01, 2007; ... Background: Quantification of F^sub 2^-Isoprostanes is considered a reliable index of the oxidative stress status in vivo and is valuable in the diagnosis and monitoring of a variety of diseases. Because of complex and lengthy sample preparation procedures, current chromatography/mass ...
Laboratory Diagnosis of Specific Antibody Deficiency to Pneumococcal Capsular Polysaccharide Antigens
Mar 01, 2007; ... Background: Measurement of postimmunization antibody response to pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide (caps-PS) is the standard method to identify deficiency of antipolysaccharide antibody production. However, no standardized criteria have been defined for classification of patients into ...
High Urinary Concentrations of Activin A in Asphyxiated Full-Term Newborns with Moderate or Severe Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy
Mar 01, 2007; ... Background; Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a major cause of permanent neurological disabilities in full-term newborns. We measured activin A in urine collected immediately after birth in asphyxiated full-term newborns, and assessed the ability of the measurements to predict the ...
A Simple Method for DNA Isolation from Clotted Blood Extricated Rapidly from Serum Separator Tubes
Mar 01, 2007; ... Background: After clinical laboratory tests have been performed, it can be difficult to obtain DNA without further patient involvement. Although the blood clot remaining within the serum-separation tube after serum collection is a source of DNA, recovery of the clot from the tube is a ...
HPLC-Electrospray Tandem Mass Spectrometry for Rapid Determination of Dihydropyrimidine Dehydrogenase Activity
Mar 01, 2007; ... Background: Patients with a partial dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency have an increased risk of developing severe 5-fluorouracil-associated toxicity. We developed a rapid and specific method to measure the DPD activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells using HPLC tandem-mass ...
Technical and Diagnostic Performance of 6 Assays for the Measurement of Citrullinated Protein/Peptide Antibodies in the Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Mar 01, 2007; ... Background: Several anticitrullinated protein/peptide antibodies (ACPA) assays have been reported to be of diagnostic value for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We evaluated the technical performance and diagnostic accuracy of 6 ELISAs for the detection of antibodies to citrullinated protein/peptide ...
Large Fluctuations in Parathyroid Hormone Concentrations After Autotransplantation of Parathyroid Tissue in the Forearm
Mar 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Hyperparathyroidism is a potentially serious complication in patients with advanced renal insufficiency (1). As renal mass dwindles and phosphate excretion gets more difficult, synthesis of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol is impaired, and concentrations of fibroblast growth ...
Simple Method for Haplotyping the Poly(TG) Repeat in Individuals Carrying the IVS8 5T Allele in the CFTR Gene
Mar 01, 2007; ... Background: The 5T allele of the polyT tract located within intron 8 of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene is a variant that in trans with a severe CFTR mutation can result in normal phenotype, congenital bilateral absence of vas deferens (CBAVD), or mild cystic ...
Use of Intraoperative Samples to Optimize Efficacy of Central Laboratory Parathyroid Hormone Analyses
Mar 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Intact (1-84) parathyroid hormone (PTH) has a short half-life and can be monitored during surgery to confirm the removal of all hyperfunctioning parathyroid tissue, but exact criteria for timing of sample collection and number of samples that best indicate a surgical cure ...
Monitoring Blood Glucose with Microdialysis of Interstitial Fluid in Critically Ill Children
Mar 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Hyperglycemia, a common feature in critically ill patients, was traditionally perceived as an adequate stress response reflecting the severity of the disease state and was treated only if glycemia exceeded 11-13.5 mmol/L. In recent studies in intensive care patients, we ...
Detection and Characterization of Putative Metastatic Precursor Cells in Cancer Patients
Mar 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Metastasis is the major cause of cancer-related death. Single disseminated tumor cells (DTC) can be detected in the bone marrow and peripheral blood years before the occurrence of clinically detectable metastases. Recent clinical studies, however, have clearly indicated ...
The -50G>T Polymorphism in the Promoter of the CYP2J2 Gene in Coronary Heart Disease: The Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health Study
Mar 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Cytochrome P450 epoxygenases metabolize arachidonic acid to epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), which possess various biological properties with a role in coronary vascular function. Therefore, the cytochrome P450, family 2, subfamily J, polypeptide 2 (CYP2J2) gene, which ...
A Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Method for the Quantification of Urinary Albumin using a Novel ^sup 15^N-Isotopically Labeled Albumin Internal Standard
Mar 01, 2007; ... To the Editor: Recent studies suggest that microalbuminuria confers increased cardiovascular risk, even in nondiabetic and nonhypertensive persons (1-2). Clinically, the testing of microalbuminuria uses immunochemical methods. Controversy exists, however, regarding the accuracy of ...
Effects of [alpha]-Tocopherol and Mixed Tocopherol Supplementation on Markers of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Type 2 Diabetes
Mar 01, 2007; ... Background: Vitamin E isomers may protect against atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of supplementation with either α-tocopherol (αT) or mixed tocopherols rich in γ-tocopherol (γT) on markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in patients with ...
High-Dose [alpha]-Tocopherol Therapy Does Not Affect HDL Subfractions in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease on Statin Therapy
Mar 01, 2007; ... Background: Subfractions of HDL, particularly large HDL (HDL2), are inversely correlated with the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD). α-Tocopherol (AT) is the main lipid-soluble antioxidant in plasma. Results of a previous small study (n = 44) suggested that either a combination of ...