Medical Laboratory and Biomedical Science: October 2013

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Halloween fun for the laboratorians

Petri dish pumpkin jelly for lab geeks

Original image:
Adventures of the Triple B's: Halloween

Source: Adventures of the triple b´s
Image credits: aka the mom

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HDL cholesterol controls blood glucose

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease rates are markedly increased in individuals with type 2 diabetes. One of the strongest independent predictors of cardiovascular disease in these patients is a low circulating level of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and its major protein constituent apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I). An international team of scientists led by Dr. Susanna Hofmann from the Institute of Diabetes and Regeneration Research at the Helmholtz Zentrum München (HMGU), Partner of the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), and Dr. Maarit Lehti from the LIKES Research Center for Sport and Health Sciences, Jyväskylä, Finland, have now determined that normal circulating HDL levels are required for proper skeletal muscle metabolism and function.

Read more:
'Good' cholesterol controls blood glucose

Source: Science Daily
Image credits: The American Academy of Family Physicians

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Virus-induced fever might change bacteria from commensal to pathogen

Neisseria meningitidis may cause septicemia (bacteria in the blood) and meningitis (infection of the membrane surrounding the brain), but the bacterium colonizes the nasopharynx in 10-20% of the human population without causing disease. Although understanding how the bacterium changes from a commensal to a pathogen has been elusive, an important property is believed to be the ability to resist destruction by the immune response. Fever caused by a viral infection might be the trigger that makes N. meningitidis evade immunity.

Read more:
Virus-induced fever might change bacteria from commensal to pathogen

Source: Virology blog
Image credits: Vincent Racaniello

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Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Laboratory Wall Painting From Somaliland

Laboratory Advertisement Painted On Wall.

Original image:
Laboratory Advertisement Painted On Wall Boorama Somaliland

Source: Flickr
Image credits: Eric Lafforgue

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The Team Behind The Scenes

Medical Laboratory Professionals

Read more:
Medical Lab Professionals: The Team Behind The Scenes Lapel Pin

Source: positivepromotions.com
Image credits: Positive promotions

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A vital link in health care: Biomedical Scientists and Medical Laboratory Technologists

Without Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLTs), the health care system would come to a halt with a devastating impact on Saskatchewan residents. Emergency departments would close and surgeries and cancer treatments would abruptly stop. MLTs look for indications of disease processes. The patient test results generated by MLTs are crucial in directly influencing as high as 85 per cent of the diagnostic and treatment decisions made by health care professionals.

"Clinical Microbiology (the study of micro-organisms) is only one of the nine major disciplines in which MLTs provide test results regarding diseases affecting individuals. The human body has bacteria in it all the time to help with normal bodily functions. However, infections are caused by abnormal bacteria or viruses. MLTs test for and detect those abnormal bacteria," said Del Windrum, Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Society of Medical Laboratory (SSMLT). The organization is responsible for licensing MLTs.

Read more:
A vital link in health care: Medical Laboratory Technologists

Source: TheStarPhoenix
Image credits: Doctors without borders

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Hematology Workflow

The world of hematology has been changing steadily over the past fifty years with the rapid evolution of automated platforms from the first electronic blood cell counter. The first automated hematology line made its debut in 1989, with subsequent industry innovation pushing the hematology world forward. As more options become available, the need to understand the implications of each alternative has become paramount; labs often turn to industry resources to help "peel the onion" of hematology automation decisions. The consulting services offered by most vendors has filled this need, but labs still face making the ultimate decision alone and the multitude of options has made that decision increasingly complex.
So what's the solution? It lies in Einstein's core wisdom -- in order to change the world we have created, we need to think and envision a new paradigm.

Read more:
Hematology Workflow

Source: Advance
Image credits: Sysmex

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Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Lab Needle Cap Xmas Tree

Marina Pereira has made an amazing christmas tree for us.

"First christmas tree made only with laboratory equipment. Needle caps, vacuum lid swabs and butterfly caps"

Source: Facebook
Image credits: Marina Pereira

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Lab Cat Working

Lab Cat Any Lu Loreto Pérez shared this awesome image with us.

Source: Facebook
Image credits: Any Lu Loreto Pérez

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Laboratory Flip Flops

These cool and custom flip flops will knock your socks off! Choose from a boatload of designs that reflect your sandal style. Our waterproof thong flip flops are perfect for the beach, around the house or to the mall. For an endless summer of fun on your feet, slip on a pair of personalized flip flops from CafePress.

View more:
Scientist Chemist Researcher Flip Flops by cuteflipflops

Source: CafePress
Image credits: HomewiseShopper

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Rheumatoid arthritis and heart disease

People with rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic inflammatory conditions are at higher risk of heart disease. Who is in the most danger, why and how best to prevent and detect cardiovascular complications are important questions for physicians and researchers. Mayo Clinic studies presented at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting shed new light on this connection, in part by revealing factors that seem to put some rheumatoid arthritis patients in greater jeopardy of heart problems: early menopause, more severe rheumatoid arthritis and immunity to a common virus, cytomegalovirus, among others.

In one study, Mayo researchers discovered that patients whose rheumatoid arthritis is more severe are likelier to have heart problems. That becomes true soon after rheumatoid arthritis strikes, making early treatment of rheumatoid arthritis important, says co-author Eric Matteson, M.D., chair of rheumatology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Read more:
Rheumatoid arthritis and heart disease: Mayo Clinic studies shed light on dangerous connection

Source: EurekAlert
Image credits: WebMD

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Blood Culture Samples and Integrated MALDI-TOF

Work Flow Analysis of Around-the-clock Processing of Blood Culture Samples and Integrated MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry Analysis for the Diagnosis of Bloodstream Infections

Because sepsis has a high mortality rate, rapid microbiological diagnosis is required to enable efficient therapy. The effectiveness of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis in reducing turnaround times (TATs) for blood culture (BC) pathogen identification when available in a 24-h hospital setting has not been determined.

Together with continuous cultivation of BC, the 24-h availability of MALDI-TOF MS can reduce the TAT for microbial pathogen identification within a routine clinical laboratory setting. Batch-wise testing of positive BC loses a few hours compared to real-time identification but is still far superior to classical BC processing. Larger prospective studies are required to evaluate the contribution of rapid around-the-clock pathogen identification to medical decision-making for septicemic patients.

Read more:
Work Flow Analysis of Around-the-clock Processing of Blood Culture Samples and Integrated MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry Analysis for the Diagnosis of Bloodstream Infections

Source: Clinical Chemistry
Image credits: Rodolfo Parulan Jr.

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Monday, October 28, 2013

Barbie Loves Microbes

Barbie is checking out bacteria in the microbiology lab. She LOVES microbes!

Original image:
http://media-cache-cd0.pinimg.com/originals/2d/d0/5d/2dd05daacff7797c8c35ea5af8ecacd5.jpg

Source: Media Cache
Image credits: Unknown

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The Blood Cell Case

The red circles are your red blood cells. The white circles are your white blood cells. The brown circles are donuts. We need to talk.

Read more
The red circles are your red blood cells...

Source: SparkPeople Funnies
Image credits: Randy Glasbergen

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Measuring blood sugar with light

A team of German researchers has devised a novel, non-invasive way to make monitoring easier. Using infrared laser light applied on top of the skin, they measure sugar levels in the fluid in and under skin cells to read blood sugar levels. They describe their method in the current edition of Review of Scientific Instruments, which is produced by AIP Publishing.

"This opens the fantastic possibility that diabetes patients might be able to measure their glucose level without pricking and without test strips," said lead researcher, Werner Mäntele, Ph.D. of Frankfurt's Institut für Biophysik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität.
Read more:
Measuring blood sugar with light

Source: Science Daily
Image credits: Patrick Gillooly

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Will Draw Blood for Coffee

Another Monday morning of a phlebotomist

Source: Pinterest
Image credits: Sherry Frates

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You Make Me Dizzy

Only for lab geeks, really

Source: Reddit
Original image

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Sunday, October 27, 2013

Microscope Slide Business Cards

To promote their viral marketing efforts, Italian advertising agency Enfants Terribles (aka Ebolaindustries) created these microscope slide business cards. Ebolaindustries employees operate under pseudonyms, but their real names are printed on the slides in 1.6 point type—so small the names can only be read with a microscope.

Read more:
Microscope Slide Business Cards

Source: Laughing Scuid
Image credits: Ebola industries

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Bloody High Heels

A bloody day of a hard working phlebotomist

View more:
Bloody High Heels

Source: Halloween costumes
Image credits: http://www.halloweencostumes.com/

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The Argument for Quality Assurance

The story references John Bohannon, a biologist at Harvard, recently submitted a paper on cancer research 304 journals describing themselves as using peer review. What made this article different was that (a) the paper was sent under a pseudo name and (b) it was intentionally flawed with errors in study design, analysis and interpretation of results. What was problematic was that 157 of the journals accepted it for publication.

It seems that there is a viable solution. Medical and non-medical testing and calibration laboratories can be improved through quality assessment. In our own recent examination, 75 percent of laboratories that were correcting proficiency testing error found system errors that impacted on their routine testing.

"All credible journals need to develop a quality assessment strategy for all manuscript reviewers."

Read more:
Saving Science: The Argument for Quality Assurance

Source: Making Medical Laboratory Quality Relevant
Image credits: Dariusz Leszczynski

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A Neutrophil Question

Quiz of the day. What is this cell?

Source: Reddit
Image credits: Unknown

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Saturday, October 26, 2013

Stop Staring at My Rack

Test tube racks can be so attractive...

Image credits: Cosimid

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A Laboratory Halloween

People who know Mark Martin well are very much aware of how much he adore Hallowe'en, as well as (of course) microbiology, being a proselytizing microbial supremacist and all. Thus, it is no surprise that he has often tried to mix his two favorite topics. Last year, his lovely and talented wife carved a "microscope" pumpkin to good effect.

Read more:
All Creatures Great AND Small: Preaching Microbial Supremacy!: A Microbial Hallowe'en!

Source: All Creatures Great AND Small: Preaching Microbial Supremacy!
Image credits: Mark O. Martin

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Friday, October 25, 2013

DNA Sequence Wall

This DNA sequence can be found at the Science Museum in London.

Original image:
DNA | Flickr

Source: Flickr
Image credits: John Goode

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I Monocyte You

My classmates peripheral blood smear.... not edited... its truly true.... :))
A PERFECT HEART MONOCYTE.... TAKEN 10/18/1
by Brenz Pineda Jagonia

Source: Facebook
Image credits: Brenz Pineda Jagonia

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Across the Globe, ISO 15189 Enjoys Growing Acceptance by Governments

ISO 15189 Accreditation for National Reference Laboratory

In the United Arab Emirates, a partnership involving Mubadala Development Company and Laboratory Corporation of America (NYSE: LH) operates the National Reference Laboratory. The lab facility in Dubai has an ISO 15189 accreditation.

Over the past decade, European Union hospital blood banks have begun to require to earn ISO 15189 accreditation. France has established this requirement and thousands of medical laboratories in that country are working to earn ISO 15189 accreditation.

Source: Dark Daily
Image credits: Dark Daily

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Can You Solve This QC Mystery?

Recently, one of our readers sent in a mystery: a set of discrepant QC results. For this laboratory, QC data points recorded on the instrument did not match with some data points recorded at the LIS. Now I should immediately note that this laboratory had already solved the mystery - they just wanted to share some of what they had experienced and try to help other labs in the future.

At different dates, an audit of instrument records and LIS records discovered different QC values for magnesium:

Magnesium, example
LIS QC result	2.0
Control range	1.78 - 2.02
Analyzer audit report	2.1 and 2.2

First off, you can see that the analyzer had some values that were out. Presumably, a control was out, it was repeated and it was still out. But the LIS value is in.

Read more and find out the solution for this mystery:
Can You Solve This QC Mystery?

Source: Westgard QC
Image credits: Westgard QC

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Lab Theme Party Appetizers

Send your lab nerd friends to the small-bites buffet where they can follow easy formulas to combine ingredients into innovatively yummy petri dish bites.

View more images:
Crime Lab Halloween Party for Adults

Source: Better Homes
Image credits: Katrina Widener

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More teens susceptible to genital herpes

A recent study has suggested that a growing number of adolescents in the U.S. lack the necessary antibodies that will protect them against genital herpes. Findings show that fewer teenagers have been exposed to HSV-I, a common cause of cold sores, which may make them more susceptible to HSV-II when they become sexually active.
Traditionally, HSV-I has not been connected to genital herpes, but research is beginning to show that it is becoming a significant cause of the STI – with one study finding nearly 60% of genital herpes were attributable to HSV-I.
Changes in sexual practices could make the problem worse: An unintended consequence of the success of public campaigns to limit the spread of HIV has led some to embrace the notion that oral sex is "safe," Dr. Kimberlin wrote, despite the fact that oral sex also carries risks, including significant risk of transmission of HSV-1 from the mouth to the genitals. Another serious potential consequence of increased susceptibility to genital herpes caused by HSV-1 is the risk of genital transmission of the virus from mother to baby during delivery, Dr. Kimberlin wrote. Both HSV-1 and HSV-2 can pose significant problems for newborn infants, who lack a mature immune system capable of fighting these viruses. Up to 30 percent of infected babies will die from this infection if they have the most severe form of the disease.

Read more:
More US teens susceptible to HSV-1 infection, a cause of genital herpes

Source: Science daily
Image credits:Genital Herpes Research

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Auer rod-like inclusions in κ light chain myeloma

A 56-year-old woman with a history of dyslipidemia and hepatic steatosis presented with weight loss and progressive proteinuria. The presenting blood count was normal: white blood cells, 10.9 × 10⁹/L; hemoglobin, 15.5 g/dL; platelet count, 236 × 10⁹/L. No significant rouleaux formations were present on the peripheral blood smear. Calcium (9.28 mg/dL), blood urea nitrogen/creatinine (15/0.78 mg/dL), and protein/albumin (6.9/4.2 g/dL) were normal. The squelettal survey showed no lytic bone lesions. Serum protein electrophoresis and immunofixation electrophoresis showed no monoclonal component. Serum-free light chain assay revealed high levels of κ light chains (890 mg/L) and normal levels of λ light chains (9.8); κ-λ ratio was 90.8. Urine protein electrophoresis showed free κ-type Bence-Jones proteinuria (1.64 g/L). A bone marrow aspiration revealed a normal blast count (3%) and no dysplasia. Plasma cells constituted 20% of nucleated cells.

Read more:
Auer rod-like inclusions in κ light chain myeloma

Source: Blood
Image credits: ASH image bank

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Thursday, October 24, 2013

Human miRNome Profiling

Extracellular microRNAs (miRNAs) have been proposed as potentially robust and stable biomarkers of various disease conditions. The primary objective of this study was to identify miRNAs differentially occurring in the urine that could serve as potential biomarkers of acute kidney injury (AKI), because traditional AKI markers have limitations with respect to sensitivity, specificity, and timeliness of diagnosis.

Read:
Human miRNome Profiling Identifies MicroRNAs Differentially Present in the Urine after Kidney Injury

Source: Clinical Chemistry
Image credits: SAbiosciences

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Viral Load Monitoring

Viral load monitoring of HIV and other infectious diseases provides essential information to guide clinicians in making treatment decisions. Over the past two decades, the field of virology molecular testing has evolved to provide increased assay sensitivity and more actionable results for clinicians. Today, for example, a viral load result is a routine barometer of an HIV-1 patient’s health and is typically used by physicians to monitor a patient’s response to therapy.
In the past year or two, though, there have been notable changes in the viral load testing landscape for three key viruses—hepatitis C (HCV), HIV-1, and cytomegalovirus (CMV). The primary driver behind the shift has not been new technology per se but rather the availability of new therapies or other significant developments in clinical guidelines and practice.

Read more:
Viral load monitoring: shifting paradigms in clinical practice

Source: Medical Laboratory Observer
Image credits: Vortex.com

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A Phlebotomy Case

"Hold still, Mrs. Brown while I draw your blood"

Original image:
1234030_10151758516276236_1883739992_n.jpg

Source: We<3it
Image credits: Benita Epstein

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The future of noninvasive glucose meters

The healthcare startups in the race to launch an approved noninvasive, bloodless glucose meter for the growing diabetes patient population is on. While each company etches out its value proposition and aims for commercial launch, a look at what the devices with potential for success in this space have in common.

Source: MedCity
Image credits: Grove instruments

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Medical Laboratory Quality and Anatomic Pathology Errors

Improved diagnostic technologies and more sophisticated software tools allow innovative clinical lab managers to more precisely measure the accuracy of their lab’s analytical results

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA—In this beautiful port city, a national gathering of clinical laboratory and anatomic pathology experts convened last week and tackled serious issues concerning the accuracy and integrity of the diagnostic test results produced by labs in Canada and other developed nations. One big take-away from this meeting was that the bar is being raised for the quality of the lab test results produced by a medical laboratory. Issues of bias, variability, and inaccuracy that accompany the technologies and methods used by clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups were front and center during all three days of the meeting.

Read more:
Medical Laboratory Quality and Anatomic Pathology Errors among Issues Discussed during Lab Quality Management Conference in Vancouver

Source: Dark Daily
Image credits: Nicola Parry

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Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Another boring day in the microbiology lab

I love microbiology

Source: Reddit
Image credits: Sunmann

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Genetically Decorated Food

Cyto-veggie-dinner by Vivi Einy

Image credits: Vivi Einy

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Albumin Quality Goals

What's the Right Goal for Albumin?

On a more specific level, even for laboratories that are attempting to assess and assure quality, the question of goals, targets and requirements are a challenge. The main question for labs is, "What is the Right Goal for this Test?" While the 1999 Stockholm hierarchy identifies an approach, the ideal quality goals - goals developed based on the evidence of how the test results are actually used by clinicians - are rare indeed. Even for well-studied assays that have been used in medicine for decades, there is still a wide disparity on the actual goal that should used for quality.

This table is adapted from a study by Friedecky, Kratochvila and Budina in a 2011 article in CCLM. You can see that the Desirable Biologic "Ricos goal" is small for Albumin, while Rilibak, SEKK, and the Spanish Minimum Consensus set the target mich larger, above 10%.

Login to Westgard QC and read more:
Albumin Quality Goals

Source: Westgard QC
Image credits: Friedecky, Kratochvila and Budina

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Uncertainty in Diagnostic Semen Analysis

Uncertainty in relation to laboratory testing simply means the existence of doubt or level of error associated with a particular measurement. In general, if the evidence relating any given semen parameter with pregnancy outcome is weaker or controversial then it is likely that: either the study design was not particularly robust or the testing method used to measure that particular semen parameter is subject to a higher level of uncertainty.

From published evidence we are reasonably certain that the number, motility and morphology of sperm are important for a either natural or assisted conception. The conflicting evidence surrounding parameters such as DNA fragmentation or antisperm antibodies suggests that the testing procedures to measure these are subject to a higher level of ‘uncertainty’.

Evidence demonstrating Uncertainty associated with semen analysis

Changing clinical thresholds or reference ranges over the past 25 years (WHO, 1987, 1992, 1999, 2001).
A litany of publications questioning the clinical value of semen analysis.
Considerable variation in clinical practice in relation to treatment decision making based on sperm quality.
EQA data (UKNEQAS and American Association of Bioanalysts National Proficiency testing, Keel et al 2000).
Failure to establish consensus regarding the clinical significance or indeed the reference ranges for certain tests e.g. antisperm antibodies, DNA fragmentation (Barratt et al, 2010; Tomlinson et al, 2013).
Lack of automation in semen analysis in comparison to other areas of pathology.

Source: Embryo news
Image credits: Malpani Infertility Clinic

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Monday, October 21, 2013

Profiling Biomedical Laboratory Scientists

Amazing cartoon by Tan Hua Seng

Source: Facebook/ THSfb
Image credits: Tan Hua Seng

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Your Friendly Neighbourhood PCR Zombie

Laboratory related artwork by Aestling

Original posting
your friendly neighbourhood pcr zombie

Source: tumblr.
Image credits: Aestling

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New CLSI Method Evaluation Guideline - Reagent Lot Variation

The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) has published a new document, EP26-A—User Evaluation of Between-Reagent Lot Variation; Approved Guideline. In a laboratory setting, changes in measurement procedure performance may occur with a change in reagent lot. Therefore, it is a good laboratory practice to verify the consistency of patient sample results when introducing a new lot of reagents. This document provides guidance for laboratories on evaluation of a new reagent lot, including a protocol using patient samples to detect significant changes from the current lot.

EP26-A provides users with a protocol to evaluate the consistency of patient sample results when a new analytical reagent lot replaces a reagent lot currently in use. It also helps users detect significant changes in measurement procedure performance for patient samples due to reagent lot changes, and confirms that patient sample results are consistent between two reagent lots.

Read more:
CLSI Published a New Method Evaluation Guideline: EP26-A—User Evaluation of Between-Reagent Lot Variation

Source: CLSI
Image credits: MediaDiagnostici

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Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)

Vincent Racaniello speaks with Professor Harald zur Hausen, recipient of the 2013 Society for General Microbiology Prize Medal for "work that has had a far-reaching impact beyond microbiology."

Professor zur Hausen talks about the beginnings of his work on the human papilloma virus (HPV) starting in 1972 with a group he setup to look at the "isolation and characterization of the viruses in genital warts." This group would lead to the discovery of HPV 16 and 18 (the leading cause of cervical cancer) amongst many other types. The discovery of these two particular strains of HPV led to insights into the cancer causing properties of HPV which would result in the production of the HPV vaccine. Vincent and Professor zur Hausen also discuss other virus related cancers including the possibility that colon cancer is a product of a virus and the application of the HPV vaccine to males as well as females.

Watch video:
MWV Episode 80 - Harald zur Hausen - Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)