Clinical Chemistry Podcast

Dietary Fat: Friend or Foe? 03.01.2018 15:16 ↓

Expert Q&A 

Use of Metabolomics in Improving Assessment of Dietary Intake 03.01.2018 8:45 ↓

In the era of precision medicine, it is no surprise that there is an emerging interest in personalizing one's diet based on their genetic make-up.  This concept called, "precision nutrition," refers to the application of -omics techniques such as genomics and metabolomics, to achieve better prevention or treatment of disease to optimize nutrition. The January 2017 Clinical Chemistry special issue...

Bad Breaks and Metabolic Effects of Bariatric Surgery 03.01.2018 20:17 ↓

Although bariatric surgery techniques were originally developed to treat morbid obesity, the indications for their use have expanded as a consequence of the emerging evidence of their wider metabolic benefits.  Now described as metabolic surgeries, these treatment methods derive as much benefit from their metabolic and cardiovascular effects as from the resulting weight reduction. Though promising...

New Therapies for Treating Hepatitis C Virus: Impact on Laboratory Testing Recommendations and Clinical Management 20.12.2017 7:15 ↓

Hepatitis C virus or HCV infection affects close to 150 million people worldwide.  In the U.S., it is estimated that as many as five million people have been infected with the Hepatitis C virus, many of whom are unaware of their infection.  HCV is now the most common indication for liver transplantation, and it accounts for more deaths each year than all other reportable infectious diseases combin...

High-Resolution, Accurate-Mass (HRAM) Mass Spectrometry Urine Steroid Profiling in the Diagnosis of Adrenal Disorders 20.12.2017 17:02 ↓

Adrenal steroid analysis plays an important role in the diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome, disorders of steroidogenesis, and adrenal tumors.  The analytical sensitivity and specificity for steroid assays have evolved over time from individual immunoassays to multiplexed mass spectrometry-based methods.  This transition has highlighted a need for simultaneous measurement of multiple steroids and thei...

Clinical Case Study: Unusual Cause of Abdominal Pain and Anemia 19.12.2017 9:33 ↓

Exposure to lead in adults is typically via occupational or environmental exposures. The incidence of lead poisoning have declined worldwide due to improved industrial safety measures and the limited use of lead in paint, pipes, and canned goods. Though an increasing number of lead intoxications have been caused by the use of contaminated illicit drugs, including opium, marijuana and amphetamine,...

The Role of Procalcitonin in Diagnosis of Sepsis and Antibiotic Stewardship: Opportunities and Challenges 26.10.2017 13:38 ↓

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition associated with significant mortality and healthcare cost.  There is increasing evidence supporting the use procalcitonin as a biomarker for diagnosis of bacterial sepsis and as a guide to discontinue antibiotic therapy.  However, concerns about the efficacy, safety, and availability of procalcitonin exist.  A Q&A article in the September 2017 issue of Clinic...