Massimo De Paoli

..Characterization of allergens at a molecular and submolecular level and, where necessary, the use of recombinant allergens can reduce cross-reactions and further improve the quality of immunoassays...

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..Available evidences support the utility of this new cancer biomarker for risk stratification,prognosis and monitoring of epithelial ovarian cancer and of endometrial cancer...

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..The identification of valuable QIs is a key step in paving the way towards quality and patient safety in laboratory medicine...

..This article overviews the concept of quality testing within hemostasis as critical to ensuring patient safety and optimal clinical and therapeutic management...

..The tumor marker utility and prognostic relevance of these proteases have not been evaluated in the same experimental setting and compared with that of CEA and CA-19-9...

..This review describes the changes and their implications for analysis of errors associated with laboratory testing...

..The lesson we have learned is that each practice must examine its own total testing process to discover its weaknesses and identify appropriate remedies...

..Moreover, a fundamental shift in improving patient safety in laboratory medicine is to move from error reporting to risk management...

..There is therefore an urgent need for an evaluation of errors and risks of error in POCT that is based on the entire testing process and uses well-designed studies aiming to improve clinical outcomes and increase patient safety...

..Moreover, quality assurance programs and an appropriate clinical audit are required to evaluate and improve upon this activity...

..New challenges to EQA schemes for coagulation testing derive from the introduction of innovative tests, genetic analysis, and the need to assess not only analytical procedures but also all steps included in the total testing process...

..A consensus should be achieved in the scientific community on these issues to assure better utilization of laboratory data and, ultimately, improved clinical outcomes...

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..In a modern approach to total quality, centered on patients' needs and satisfaction, the risk of errors and mistakes in pre- and post-examination steps must be minimized to guarantee the total quality of laboratory services...

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..In these patients, precise definition of the hepatic fibrosis stage is the most important parameter to assess the risk of disease progression and to decide for an immediate and appropriate antiviral therapy...

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..AGA IgA II and AGA IgG II have recently been suggested as reliable tools for celiac disease (CD) diagnosis. We compared their utility for diagnosis and monitoring CD in children with that of tTG IgA, an established CD marker...

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..The aim of this study was to assess the cytokine profile in the rectal mucosa of patients affected by perianal CD and to understand its relations with the systemic cytokine profile and inflammatory parameters and the need for surgery...

..We assessed the association of new and established cagA and vacA polymorphisms with disease...

..CONCLUSION: The preoperative determination of tumor grade and blood AFP mRNA status may potentially refine the prognostic evaluation of HCC patients and improve the selection process for radical therapies...

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..Our aim was to identify the pancreatic cancer diabetogenic peptide...

..The aim of the present study was to explore the application of SELDI proteomic patterns in serum for distinguishing between cases of pancreatic cancer, chronic pancreatitis, type 2 diabetes mellitus and healthy controls...

..Here, we report the state of critical value reporting in a large cohort of Italian laboratories and comparison with Q-Probes surveys from the College of American Pathologists as representatives of the US situation...

..VEGF and AFP mRNA determinations in the blood are promising prognostic factors for patients with HCC. This study explores their potential prognostic synergy in a cohort of HCC patients evaluated for potentially curative therapies...

..This work examined the interplay between the microbiota adherent to the ileal pouch mucosa and the mucosal immune system in chronic/relapsing pouchitis...

..We ascertained whether gene therapy with FCY1-FUR1 is effective in killing pancreatic cancer cells after 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) treatment...

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..Heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) appears to be one of the best candidates among the new early cardiac markers studied...

..We hypothesized that the chronic inflammatory process, involved in the future atherosclerotic injury, could be found during the fetal period...

..The analytical and clinical performance of the Evidence Cardiac Panel were evaluated...

..An IgA deficiency is the most frequent immunodeficiency in humans and, in general, high frequency of this disorder was demonstrated in those with autoimmune diseases...

..The relationship between asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) plasma concentrations and acute heart failure is unknown. We evaluated ADMA and SDMA in patients with acute dyspnea...

..These biomarkers have proven to be of particular value in the management of chronic and acute heart failure patients, and in the outpatient and the emergency setting...

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..The anti-tTG test correlates with the degree of mucosal destruction and is suitable for verifying patient compliance to dietary treatment...

..Whether this is a potential molecular tool by means of which transplanted partial livers promote their regeneration remains to be seen in a larger number of patients...

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..25 P < 0.05). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that acute-phase markers of inflammation are associated with nephropathy status and GBM thickening, suggesting a role for inflammation in the pathogenesis of diabetic glomerulopathy...

..CONCLUSIONS: We identified a tumor-derived peptide of 14 amino acids sharing a 100% homology with an S-100 calcium binding protein, which is probably the pancreatic cancer-associated diabetogenic factor...

..CONCLUSIONS: Unlike liver GAPDH, NO appears to be involved in PC associated DM. In portal sera, the absence, rather than the presence, of specific fragments, appears to be correlated with the development of DM...

..The usefulness of serum antibodies to common food antigens (immunoglobulin G4; IgG4) assay in management of patients suffering from food intolerance was assessed...

..We compared the diagnostic accuracy of three new tests proposed for CD screening with that of the well established IgA tTG, and ascertained whether any combination of these tools might enhance accuracy in diagnosing CD...

..The main aim of the activities of an EQAP in Laboratory Medicine is to sustain improvements in the quality of services provided by participating laboratories for the benefit of patients...

..A total of 371 patients under stable warfarin therapy were retrospectively selected to develop a pharmacogenetic algorithm to identify the individual maintenance dose...

..The examples highlight that any well-designed quality system can be ineffective if it is not managed by highly competent professionals with a deep sense of responsibility...

..However, patients with normal troponin values are not necessarily risk-free for major cardiac events...

..The communication also improves the likelihood of reaching the physician on call and may provide important decision support...

..In conclusion, in laboratory medicine, technology represents a tool for improving clinical effectiveness and patient outcomes, but it has to be managed by qualified laboratory professionals...

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..The most virulent cagA positive H. pylori colonizes not only the gastric, but also the duodenal mucosa, which can be directly damaged by the bacteria itself or by its products...

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..The findings demonstrate that participation in EQA schemes provided an opportunity for participating laboratories to continuously improve the quality of their services...

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..These data should stimulate debate in the scientific community and encourage more clinical laboratories to use the same indicators to improve clinical effectiveness and clinical outcomes within the healthcare service...

..The aim of the present paper is to evaluate the relevance of component-resolved in vitro diagnosis in comparison to extract-based diagnosis and the relative global costs in relation to clinical outcomes...

..pylori infection. This review focuses on the role of H. pylori virulence genes and on host cytokines' genes polymorphisms in determining clinical outcome to H. pylori infection...

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..The mission of the WG-LEPS is to promote and encourage investigations into errors in laboratory medicine, collect data available on this issue and recommend strategies and procedures for improving patient safety...

..2% of results. Although in the post-analytical phase the frequency of incomplete or incorrect data was high, no adverse events were found to be related to this type of error...

..Clinical laboratories can therefore work to improve clinical effectiveness, without forgetting that everything should be designed to provide the best outcomes for patients...

..We have investigated variations in the C-reactive protein levels in groups of patients with left ventricular dysfunction of various causes...

..This study was designed to assess the role of fecal lactoferrin and calprotectin as markers of intestinal inflammation in patients with Crohn's disease who have undergone ileocolonic resection...

..The study confirms the efficacy of MARS therapy in terms of homeostasis of the cytokines network and suggests an usefulness of monitoring their level during liver failure...

..IgA deficiency is frequent in patients with other autoimmune diseases, but data concerning AAD are still unavailable...

..The adipose tissue (AT), which is an endocrine organ, is linked to several metabolic abnormalities. Undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOCN) regulates insulin and adiponectin secretion...

..The PD-OVCA1 and PD-OVCA2 ovarian cancer cell lines will provide a valuable tool for new experimental models for the study of BRCA1-associated tumour biology...

..We studied whether protein and lipid turnover correlate with insulin and growth and thyroid hormone plasma levels in critically ill infants...

..These data suggest that myocardial damage, evaluated by cardiac troponin T, troponin I, and creatine kinase MB measurements, does not seem to be a relevant problem in multiple-gestation neonates...

..The recently discovered hormone resistin is linked to the development of insulin resistance, but direct evidence of resistin levels in humans with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is lacking...

..The association of renal ET-1 and AVP activity with sodium excretion in premature infants treated with indomethacin and ibuprofen supports the hypothesis that these factors may play a role in the physiologic changes in sodium excretion...

..In the index patient, an approximate 13-kb product was obtained, whereas no product was obtained from his mother. The mother investigated by means of polymorphism was shown not to be a carrier...

..To study levels and activity of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 and -9 and their tissue inhibitor (TIMP-1) in tears of patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC), with and without severe corneal damage...

..PBMHcTx is a useful method to treat acute liver failure and it indicates a possible liver-direct gene therapy in the treatment of inherited and acquired disorders...

..In the rat this latter effect occurs via ET(B) receptors; in humans in vitro studies implicated both ET(A) and ET(B) receptors, but there is no conclusive evidence in vivo...

..Furthermore, as some of these cytokines may reflect disease activity, their determination may also be useful in the evaluation of therapy...

..The purpose of this study is to measure levels and mRNA expression of Th1- and Th2-type cytokines in patients with active vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) and atopic keratoconjunctivitis (AKC)...

..CONCLUSIONS: Stepwise combination of non-invasive markers of liver fibrosis improves the diagnostic performance in chronic hepatitis C. Need for liver biopsy is reduced by 50-70% but cannot be completely avoided...

..Finally CRP levels in preeclampsia are believed to correlate with preeclamptic process severity...

..To evaluate the specific allergic sensitization and epidemiological characteristics of vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC)...

..The aims of the study were 1) to assess the performance of this method in different conditions of iron metabolism disorders; 2) to assess the diagnostic validity of non-invasive serum biomarkers in the identification of iron overload...

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..e. the thickness of the fat between the abdominal muscular layer and the hepatic surface, in addition to waist circumference, BMI, biochemistry and serum adipokines, to predict the severity of liver damage in NAFLD...

..In conclusion, among host genetic factors contributing to H. pylori disease outcome, IFN-G +874 AA genotype favors cagA positive infections, TNF-A -857 TT duodenal ulcer while IL-10 -819 TT intestinal metaplasia and NCGC...

..Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are characterized by a chronic intestinal inflammation. Since the precise etiology is still unknown, current therapies are aimed at reducing or eliminating inflammation...

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..2% of patients with other neurological diseases. The present findings suggest that neither elevated HS Abs titres nor increased homocysteinemia may represent a useful biochemical marker for the diagnosis of VD...

..The altered postnatal provision of alternative source of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1alpha adds understanding to how breast-feeding could be nonprotective against infections among the neonates nursed by smoker mothers...

..The plasma levels of brain natriuretic peptide, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, big endothelin-1 and cardiac troponins have been reported to correlate with the severity of heart failure...