Clinical chemistry
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Historical Article
Aspirin in the primary prevention of myocardial infarction.
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Although myeloperoxidase (MPO) monitoring is predictive for cardiovascular outcomes in suspected acute coronary syndromes, the value of serial testing is unknown. ⋯ MPO concentrations are predictive of outcome up to 16 h after presentation with chest pain and predict events missed by cTnI testing, supporting a potential role in rapid patient triage.
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Two recent clinical trials showed that adding copeptin to a conventional cardiac troponin assay improved diagnostic performance for patients with chest pain early after symptom onset. We prospectively tested whether copeptin adds information to that provided by a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hscTnT) assay in the early evaluation of patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction, particularly non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (non-STEMI). ⋯ A strategy using copeptin with hscTnT at prespecified cutoffs improves the ruling out of non-STEMI, compared with using hscTnT alone; thus, this strategy could help to obviate a prolonged stay in the emergency department.
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Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men in North America and is a leading cause of death. Standard treatments include androgen deprivation therapy, which leads to improved clinical outcomes. However, over time, most tumors become androgen independent and no longer respond to hormonal therapies. Several mechanisms have been implicated in the progression of prostate cancer to androgen independence. ⋯ Understanding of the molecular mechanisms that lead to the development of androgen-independent prostate cancer will allow for improved therapeutic strategies that target key pathways and molecules that are essential for these cells to survive.
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Editorial Comment
Point-of-care testing quality: some positives but also some negatives.