Scandinavian journal of clinical and laboratory investigation
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Scand. J. Clin. Lab. Invest. · Feb 2019
Comparative Study Observational StudyComparison of thromboelastometry by ROTEM® Delta and ROTEM® Sigma in women with postpartum haemorrhage.
Haemostatic treatment in women experiencing postpartum haemorrhage is increasingly based on point-of-care devices such as ROTEM® thromboelastometry. Recently, a fully automated successor of the ROTEM® Delta device, the ROTEM® Sigma was introduced. To determine whether these devices provide similar results, we compared ROTEM® parameters using the ROTEM® Delta and Sigma devices in women experiencing postpartum haemorrhage. ⋯ Substantial variation was found between FIBTEM assays of the devices. Consequently, results of FIBTEM assays should always be interpreted in the context of device-specific reference values. Correlation with Clauss fibrinogen was better in the ROTEM® Sigma device.
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Scand. J. Clin. Lab. Invest. · Feb 2019
Increased antibody levels to stage-specific Epstein-Barr virus antigens in systemic autoimmune diseases reveal a common pathology.
The immune responses to antigens from different stages of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) life cycle were investigated in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Sjögren's syndrome (SS), and systemic sclerosis (SSc) to gain knowledge of EBV's involvement in the etiology of systemic autoimmune diseases (SADs) and for an overview of the humoral immune responses against EBV. Investigations were performed by the use of ELISA. IgM, IgA, and IgG antibody binding to 11 EBV antigens: EBNA1, EBNA2, BALF5, EAD, BALF2, EA/R, VCA p18, VCA p23, gB, gp350, and gp42 were examined in serum pools from SAD patients and healthy controls (HCs). ⋯ Specifically, SLE was characterized by strongly increased IgA to EAD both compared to HCs and other SADs, and RA was characterized by increased IgM levels to several EBV antigens. The SADs may be partly distinguished by their differential immune responses to various antigens in the EBV life cycle. All together, these findings support an association between EBV infection and SADs.
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Scand. J. Clin. Lab. Invest. · Feb 2019
Age- and sex-specific reference values for non-HDL cholesterol and remnant cholesterol derived from the Nordic Reference Interval Project (NORIP).
Non-HDL-cholesterol (non-HDL-C) has been reported to be a better marker of cardiovascular risk than LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) especially in individuals with high triglyceride values. Further, levels of remnant cholesterol have been suggested to in part explain residual risk not captured with LDL-C. The aim of the present study was to define reference values for non-HDL-C and remnant cholesterol based on data from the Nordic Reference Interval Project (NORIP). ⋯ Age- and sex-specific reference intervals should be used for the triglyceride rich lipid variables non-HDL-C and remnant cholesterol. Since these markers may add information on risk burden beyond LDL-C, our hope is that these reference intervals will aid the introduction of automatic reporting of non-HDL-C by hospital laboratories.