Biochemia medica : časopis Hrvatskoga društva medicinskih biokemičara
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Biochem Med (Zagreb) · Jan 2015
Determination of reference interval for presepsin, an early marker for sepsis.
Presepsin, the circulating soluble form of CD14 subtype (sCD14-ST) is a new emerging early marker for sepsis. Various cutoff levels of presepsin have been proposed, to discriminate between systemic bacterial and nonbacterial infectious diseases. The aim of this work was to define the reference interval for presepsin according to the CLSI C28-A3c approved guideline. ⋯ Specific decision levels are required to define the diagnostic and prognostic roles of presepsin in different settings of inflammatory and infectious diseases. Reference values can help to distinguish and quickly rule out healthy subjects or patients with other pathologies.
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Biochem Med (Zagreb) · Jan 2015
Comparative StudyCost-effectiveness analysis of acute kidney injury biomarkers in pediatric cardiac surgery.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is significant problem in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) who undergo cardiac surgery. The economic impact of a biomarker-based diagnostic strategy for AKI in pediatric populations undergoing CHD surgery is unknown. The aim of this study was to perform the cost effectiveness analysis of using serum cystatin C (sCysC), urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) and urine liver fatty acid-binding protein (uL-FABP) for the diagnosis of AKI in children after cardiac surgery compared with current diagnostic method (monitoring of serum creatinine (sCr) level). ⋯ Our results suggest that the use of uL-FABP would represent cost effective strategy for early diagnosis of AKI in children after cardiac surgery.
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In a contemporary clinical laboratory it is very common to have to assess the agreement between two quantitative methods of measurement. The correct statistical approach to assess this degree of agreement is not obvious. ⋯ Data can be analyzed both as unit differences plot and as percentage differences plot. The B&A plot method only defines the intervals of agreements, it does not say whether those limits are acceptable or not. Acceptable limits must be defined a priori, based on clinical necessity, biological considerations or other goals. The aim of this article is to provide guidance on the use and interpretation of Bland Altman analysis in method comparison studies.
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Biochem Med (Zagreb) · Jan 2015
Comparative Study Controlled Clinical TrialA comparison between two different automated total 25-hydroxyvitamin D immunoassay methods using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.
Total 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] is the most reliable indicator of vitamin D status. In this study, we compared two automated immunoassay methods, the Abbott Architect 25-OH Vitamin D assay and the Roche Cobas Vitamin D total assay, with the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). ⋯ Both immunoassays demonstrated acceptable performance, but the Roche Cobas assay demonstrated better performance than the Abbott Architect in the studied samples.
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Recent findings of authorship criteria violations in the manuscripts submitted to Biochemia Medica show that almost 40% of authors do not meet necessary criteria for authorship and thus indicate the need for better dissemination of editorial policy on authorship in our journal. We believe that such cases are mostly due to the authors' unawareness or the lack of understanding of the authorship criteria. With this article we therefore wish to declare our editorial policy on authorship and authorship criteria. ⋯ All authors should be responsible for content of the article and have to know other authors' contributions to the study. Biochemia Medica will follow recommendations provided by Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) flowcharts for possible disputes. By adhering to this procedure we hope to raise awareness about the importance of compliance with ICMJE authorship recommendations.