International Conference on Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine October 17-18, 2016 Chicago, Illinois, USA

Biography:

Abstract:

Chronic Hepatitis C (HCV) infection occurs in more than 130 to 150 million individuals world wide. Twenty percent of patients chronically infected with HCV progress to cirrhosis. Other than cirrhosis, Chronic HCV infection is strongly associated with liver cancer and end-stage liver disease requiring transplantation. However, as with the approval of the fisrt generation protease inhibitors telaprevir and boceprevir, we see significant progress in the treatment of chronic hepatitis c infection. However this has benefited many but not all patients with HCV infection as protease inhibitors have never been approved for genotype 2 and 3. No direct acting antiviral agents have ever been approved until recently. Very recently sofosbuvir, a direct acting antiviral agent which is a nucleotide polymerase inhibitor, has been approved for genotypes 2, 3, (and genotypes 1 and 4), where as multiple direct acting agents are approved and used for genotype 1 which includes but is not limited to Simeprevir. Now patients with genotype 3 have emerged among the hardest to treat. The reason behind this treatment failure of genotype 3 infections is that genotype 3 still remains a challenge to the efficacy of even newer regimen Also genotype 3 is associated with a more rapid progression of the disease. In addition, genotype 4 is increasing in Europe. Thus we want to emphasize the ongoing need for new, simpler therapeutics using direct –acting antivirals that target various stages of the HCV lifecycle to eradicate HCV without concomitant INF.
Keywords: chronic hepatitis C, non type 1 genotypes, epidemiology, direct acting anti virals, sofosbuvir 

Biography:

Ludmila Gavriliuc is Professor of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry Department of Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Chisinau, Moldova.  She graduated from State Medical University, Medico-Biological Department, Speciality - Biochemistry, Moscow, Russia, and completed PhD (1978) and MD (1997) at the State Medical University, Moscow, Russia. She had the Scholarships in Russia, Italy, USA (01-08.2013, Fulbright Program U.S., Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, LSU HSC, LA). She is author of 97 scientific and methodic peer-reviewed manuscripts and 6 books. Areas of her scientific interests are clinical-diagnostics, oncology, hematology, stomatology, antioxidant therapy. 

Abstract:

      In patients with breast cancer the processes of peroxide oxidation of lipids (POL) are increased and many metabolic pathways are disturbed. Glutathione-associated metabolism is a major mechanism for the cellular protection against agents which generate oxidative stress and POL.                      

Aim: Comparative examination of the activities of the glutathione-dependent enzymes in the blood serum and saliva in the patients with breast cancer (BC) and breast dyshormonal hyperplasiae (BDH).
Material and methods: Sixty-four patients aged 27-54 years (mean age 40.5±13.5 years) were examined before treatment in comparison with 30 healthy individuals. The activities of glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione S-transferase (GST), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and content of reduce glutathione (GSH) were determined spectrophotometrically (Diasys Diagnostics) in the blood serum and saliva in the BC and BDH patients.
Results: The levels of the activities of enzymes and Spearmen correlative analysis indicated an imbalance of the antioxidant defense system in the blood serum and saliva. The activities of enzymes and content of GSH were significantly increased in the both groups of patients in comparison with healthy control group. In the blood serum and saliva in the BDH patients these results were significantly higher than in BC patients.
Conclusion: The obtained results reflect the interrelation between activity of pathological process and an imbalance of the antioxidant enzymatic system of glutathione in the patients with mammary gland tumors (BC and BDH), and may be used for differential diagnostics, screening and monitoring during treatment as an additional biochemical tests.

Keywords: biomarkers, breast cancer, glutathione

Biography:

Hebah Mohammad Deebajah , have Bcs. in pharmacy. , working in princess Haya Biotechnology Center (PHBC) in Jordan University of Science and Technology since 2006 until now, I am working in Metabolomics lab specialist on the amino acid analyzer and newborn screening on LC/MS-MS Water. 

Abstract:

Maple Syrup urine disease (MSUD) is an autosomal – recessive inborn error of amino acid metabolisim characterized the accumulation of three branched – chain amino acids (BCAAs)in patients cell due to reduced activity of the branched alpha ketoacid dehydrogenase complex (BCKD). In this study , we aimed to sequence the coding exons of the BCKDHA, BCKDHB, and DBT genes in five Jordanian families with MSUD and one family from Iraq with MUSD .
BCAA levels were measured in probands initially presenting with developmental delay and encephalopathy. All of the coding exons and flanking intronic sequences of the BCKDHA, BCKDHB, and DBT genes were amplified and subjected to direct DNA sequencing. Four different mutations in the BCKDHA gene were identified , including a novel frame mutation, c908-909 delTG, in family 4. Two novel missense mutations at residues Met263 and Gly353 in the DBT gene were also found to be cosegregated with the MSUD phenotype in families 5 and 6, respectively. Structural analyses suggested that these two mutations may affect the assembly of the intermediate E2 trimer. No BCKDHB gene mutations were found in Jordanian patients. The mutation profiles described in this study provide a basis for the early detection of MSUD disease.
To our knowledge this is the first molecular study of MSUD in Jordan and Middle Eastern Arabic countries. 

Biography:

Attila Miseta has completed his MD at the at the Medical University of Pécs in 1984 and received his PhD in 1995. He spent more than 5 years in the USA as postdoc and visiting professor. He is the director of the Department of Laboratory Medicine at the University of Pécs Medical School. He has published more than 70 papers in PubMed listed journals, and has been serving as an editorial board member of three international journals.http://clinicalchemistry.conferenceseries.com/

Abstract:

Hepcidin is a 25AA peptide hormone made in the hepatocytes. The primary role of hepcidin is in the regulation of iron homeostasis. Similarly to many other peptide hormones it undergoes maturation meaning that the primary 84 AA product of the HAMP gene is cleaved to 60AA prohepcidin and subsequently to the 25 AA active compound. Both prohepcidin and hepcidin is present in circulation. In addition some shorter forms were also detected, 22 and 20AA long respectively. Furin type serine proteases are known to be responsible for the maturation/degradation of the primary peptide product. We used a bacterial two-hybrid system to identify possible significant interactions to uncover why there is so much prohepcidine in the serum. Screening assays were carried out on a human liver cDNA library. Preprohepcidin screening gave the following results: alpha-1 antitrypsin, transthyretin and alpha-1-acid glycoprotein showed strong interactions with preprohepcidin. We further confirmed and examined the alpha-1 antitrypsin binding in vitro (glutathione S-transferase, pull down, coimmunoprecipitation, MALDI-TOF) and in vivo (ELISA, cross-linking assay). Our results demonstrated that the serine protease inhibitor alpha-1 antitrypsin binds preprohepcidin within the cell during maturation. Furthermore, alpha-1 antitrypsin binds prohepcidin significantly in the plasma. This observation may explain the presence of prohormone in the circulation, as well as the post-translational regulation of the mature hormone level in the blood. In addition, the lack of cleavage protection in patients with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency may be the reason for the disturbance in their iron homeostasis.

Biography:

Jean-Michel Cayuela is professor assistant at university hospital Saint-Louis in Paris. He obtained his medical biologist diploma in 1991 and has completed his PhD in 1997. He has been involved in molecular diagnostic in the field of malignant hemopathies for more than 20 years. In this context, he initiated the French external quality control program ten years ago. At the european level he is member of the European Leukamia Net (ELN) and of the European Scientific Fondation of Laboratory Hemato Oncology (ESLHO).

Abstract:

Objectives. Performance of methods used for molecular diagnostics must be closely controlled by regular analysis of internal quality controls. However, conditioning, shipping and long lasting storage of nucleic acid controls remain problematic. Therefore, we evaluated the minicapsules-based innovative process developed by Imagene (Evry, France) for implementing DNA and RNA controls designed for clonality assessment of lymphoproliferations and BCR-ABL1 mRNA quantification, respectively.

Design & Methods. DNA samples were extracted from 12 cell lines selected for giving specific amplifications with most BIOMED-2 PCR tubes. RNA samples were extracted from 8 cell line mixtures expressing various BCR-ABL1 transcript levels. DNA and RNA were encapsulated by Imagene and shipped at room temperature to participating laboratories. Biologists were asked to report quality data of recovered nucleic acids as well as PCR results.

Results. Encapsulated nucleic acids samples were easily and efficiently recovered from minicapsules. The expected rearrangements at immunoglobulin, T-cell receptor and BCL2 loci were detected in DNA samples by all laboratories. Quality of RNA was consistent between laboratories and met the criteria requested for quantification of BCR-ABL1 transcripts. Expression levels measured by the 5 laboratories were within ± 2 fold interval from the corresponding pre-encapsulation reference value. Moreover aging studies of encapsulated RNA simulating up to 100 years storage at room temperature show no bias in quantitative outcome.

Conclusions. Therefore, Imagene minicapsules are suitable for storage and distribution at room temperature of genetic material designed for proficiency control of molecular diagnostic methods based on end point or real-time quantitative PCR. We are currently working on novel applications of minicapsules to develop for instance quality controls for DNA extraction in the context of external quality assessment program (EEQ).

Biography:

Abstract:

S100B is a calcium-binding protein brain specific mainly concentrated in glial cells, Schwann cells and in neurons. Among several protein’s functions still matter of investigation S100B has been shown to act as a trophic factor at physiological concentrations (nanomolar) and to be neurotoxic at micromolar concentrations. Elevated S100B concentrations in biological fluids, such as CSF, blood, urine, saliva, amniotic fluid - are regarded as a biomarker of pathological conditions including perinatal brain distress, acute brain injury, brain tumors, neuroinflammatory/neurodegenerative disorders, psychiatric disorders. The possibility of measuring the protein in the “so-called” unconventional biological fluids could be especially useful in perinatal medicine that requires even more non-invasive techniques to fulfil the minimal handling diagnostic and therapeutic strategy. To this regard significant information has been acquired through assessments of S100B in different fluids such as urine, saliva, cord blood and more recently in maternal blood of fetuses and newborns at high risk for brain damage. In detail, elevated S100B concentrations in urine and saliva have been detected in fetuses and newborns complicated by chronic/acute hypoxia, by postnatal intraventricular hemorrhage, by short/long-term adverse neurological follow-up, and by the occurrence of early postnatal death. More recently, maternal blood has been investigated based on the hypothesis that in high risk pregnancies, in whom chronic hypoxia and/or adverse conditions occurred, fetal S100B could cross the placenta and could be detectable in the maternal bloodstream. Results showed that S100B assessment can constitute a useful tool to monitor fetal well-being and/or to constitute an early warning of fetal demise.

Biography:

Mosé Barbaro has completed his graduation on Medical Biotechnology in 2008, actually he is at the 4th year of the school of specialization in Clinical Biochemistry (University of Milan). He is intern in San Raffaele Ospital in Milan. There he is doing tutoring to graduating students on research projects as well as routine laboratory analysis.

Abstract:

Introduction: Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) is the most reliable indicator for the detection of chronic alcohol consumption. Recently, we have investigated a clinical case in which a concomitant monoclonal light chain gammopathy mimicked an increase of this biomarker.

Materials and methods: A patient's serumwas routinely examined by capillary electrophoresis (CE) for evaluation of CDT, and it was subsequently analysed through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to confirm the referred result. Then, according to the patient's clinical history, we performed serum and urine immunofixation, together with k and λ free light chain measurement.

Results: The pathological CDT value obtained by CE agreed with the patient's previous data, but it was not confirmed by the HPLC. The patient's medical record revealed hypogammaglobulinaemia since 2006, which had been recently examined by a haematological visit. Serum and urine immunofixation revealed a light chain gammopathy, which had been suspected but never confirmed by laboratory assessment. The k and λ free light chain measurement completed the diagnostic process.

Conclusion: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study of its kind to report on a perfect camouflaging of a monoclonal light chain as disialo-transferrin. The importance of the careful examination of the patient's clinical history for the correct evaluation of laboratory results, thereby preventing misinterpretations, is also highlighted.

Biography:

Dr. Shin has completed M.D. from Kosin medical college, and PhD from Chungnam national university in Korea. She is a laboratory medicine specialist and has completed clinical fellowship course in Seoul Asan medical center. She designed and performed researches on quality marker development in Korea CDC and NIH as medical deputy director of  National biobank of Korea, previously. Now, she is the director of laboratory medicine department in Korea institute of Tuberculosis. 

Abstract:

The delayed separation of whole blood can influence the concentrations of circulating blood components. We aimed to determine whether clinical-biochemistry analytes can be used to assess the delayed separation of whole blood in biobank. We investigated the plasma and serum concentrations of five clinical-biochemistry analytes and free hemoglobin when the centrifugation of whole blood stored at 4°C or room temperature was delayed for 4, 6, 24 hours, or 48 hours, and compared the values with those of matched samples that had been centrifuged within 2 hours after whole-blood collection.The inorganic phosphorus (IP) levels in the plasma and serum samples were elevated ≥ 1.5-fold when whole-blood centrifugation was delayed at room temperature for 48 hours. Furthermore, the IP levels in the plasma samples showed excellent assessment accuracy with AUC> 0.9 after a 48-hour delay in whole-blood separation, and high sensitivity (100%) and specificity (95%) at an optimal cutoff point. The IP levels in the serum samples also exhibited good assessment accuracy with AUC > 0.8, and high sensitivity (81%) and specificity (100%). The potassium (K⁺) levels were elevated 1.4-fold in the serum samples following a 48-hour delay in whole-blood separation. The K⁺ levels showed excellent assessment accuracy (AUC > 0.9) following a 48-hour delay in whole-blood separation, and high sensitivity (95%) and specificity (91%) at an optimal cutoff point. Our study showed that the IP and K⁺ levels in the plasma or serum samples could be considered as putative indicators to determine whether whole-blood separation had been delayed for extended periods.

Biography:

Petr Kelbich has completed his M.Sc. at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Charles University in Prague, in 1995 and received his Ph.D. at the Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové, Charles University in Prague, in 2015. He works as a biologist and specialist for the extravascular body fluids examination at the Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Masaryk Hospital in Ústí nad Labem in the Czech Republic. He has published more than 20 papers in peer-reviewed journals

Abstract:

An impairment of an organ system is usually associated with a local inflammatory response. It is projected into the composition of a particular extravascular fluid. Specification of a local inflammation is important for an accurate diagnosis of a particular organ.

We use the cytological-energetic principle for the extravascular body fluids examination. The first step is specification of its cellular composition. The second step is the specification of local immunocompetent cells activation via the evaluation of glucose metabolism.

       We derived the so-called Coefficient of Energy Balance (KEB):

                                 KEB = 38 – 18 . [lactate]/ [glucose]

This parameter is calculated from molar concentrations of glucose and lactate in the extravascular fluid. It’s defined as the theoretical average number of molecules of adenosine triphosphate produced from one molecule of glucose under given conditions in the particular compartment.

Summary:

1. KEB values >28.0 indicate normal energy conditions in the extravascular fluid but cannot rule out a possible pathological process in the particular organ.
2. KEB values from 15.0 to 28.0 indicate increased anaerobic metabolism in the extravascular fluid, which is usually associated with local slide serous inflammation.
3. KEB values <10.0 indicate a very high level of anaerobic metabolism in the extravascular fluid, usually related to severe local inflammation with an oxidative burst of phagocytes. We distinguish purulent inflammation with oxidative burst of the neutrophil phagocytes, usually involving extracellular bacteria or intensive inflammation with oxidative burst of macrophages, involving intracellular bacteria, mycotic agents or cancer.

Biography:

Nezihe Aslı Bayram has completed her MSc at the age of 27 years from Gaziantep University and doctoral studies from Turgut Özal University School of Medicine. She is the researcher of Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey–TÜBÄ°TAK Project. He has published 4 papers and more than 15 poster abstract.

Abstract:

Aims: The certain pathogenesis of microvascular complications in Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is unknown. The first aim of this study was to confirm in terms of thiol/disulfide homeostasis whether there are differences between patients with T2DM and control group. The second aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum thiol levels and microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus.

Methods: In total, 160 patients with type 2 DM (T2DM) were recruited and grouped into four groups according to microvascular complications. Native thiol–disulfide exchanges were examined using the automated measurement method newly developed by Erel and Neselioglu.

Results: When compared to the control group, the disulfide level (p<0.001) and disulfide/total thiol ratio (p= 0.031) were lower; while native thiol/total thiol (p= 0.031) ratio was higher in diabetic patients. Both native and total thiols were negatively correlated with glycolysed hemoglobin, duration, and age.

Conclusions: An association between diabetic microvascular complications and thiol/disulfide homeostasis was confirmed.

Key words: thiol/disulfide; homeostasis; DM, neuropathy, nephropathy; retinopathy

Biography:

Tumelo H. Tabane graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in chemistry at the university of Botswana (2012), where he carried out a research on solventless synthesis of biologically important secondary amines. He is currently into his final year of the Master of science (MSc) degree in forensic and chemical sciences, at Botswana international university of science and technology (BIUST), carriying out a research on synthesis of selective functional polymers known as ‘Molecularly imprinted polymers’ or artificial receptors. His research for MSc is titled ‘Synthesis and optimization of a novel molecularly imprinted polymer for the removal of interfering hemoglobin prior to whole blood analyses

Abstract:

A heavy red globular protein, hemoglobin, responsible for whole blood red pigmentation often interferes with the identification and quantification of biomarkers and toxicants/drug residues from whole blood, in fields of molecular diagnostics and forensic toxicology, respectively. The main challenge at hand has always been the direct introduction of whole blood as a sample into the analyzing instruments because of its physiological complexity and `dirty` nature. For example, the red pigment in whole blood, which is characterized as ‘dirt’, usually co-elute with the biomarkers and toxicants/drug residues and masks them from reproducible chromatographic separation prior to their final detection. It also clogs the instruments components such as the separating columns, leading to imprecise and inaccurate results during bio-assaying. To address these challenges, our lab synthesized a selective, sensitive, cheap and robust novel hemoglobin imprinted polymer (Hb-MIP) in the form of a powder, through free-radical bulk polymerization employing molecular imprinting technology (MIT), for the selective removal of interfering hemoglobin from whole blood samples prior to instrumental analysis. Following the batch rebinding experiments, the Hb-MIP powder effectively removed hemoglobin from whole blood samples as demonstrated by the UV-Vis absorbance reductions from as high as 2.50 to lower values of 0.20. It also proved to be efficient by optimally removing hemoglobin within 18 minutes. Furthermore, the powder continued to show good selectivity towards hemoglobin as demonstrated by the percentage removal efficiency of 80%, towards hemoglobin even in the presence of analogous species such as chlorophyll with negligible percentage removal efficiency of about 20%. The Hb-MIP was further compared to a commercially available clean-up material, graphitized carbon black (GCB) powder, which is pricey and not selective. The Hb-MIP powder achieved comparable selectivity in removing hemoglobin than the chlorophyll when compared to GCB which was non selective in removing the two. Thus, this preliminary work demonstrates that conventional whole blood clean-up strategies such as centrifugation, prior to whole blood analysis may be replaced by our optimal and novel clean-up strategy or our novel strategy and some conventional methods may be combined to achieve optimal clean-up of whole blood samples before molecular diagnostic and toxicology assaying. This would result in more accurate analysis and low cost of maintaining the analyzing instruments which often run into several thousand US dollars.

Biography:

Tumelo H. Tabane graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in chemistry at the university of Botswana (2012), where he carried out a research on solventless synthesis of biologically important secondary amines. He is currently into his final year of the Master of science (MSc) degree in forensic and chemical sciences, at Botswana international university of science and technology (BIUST), carriying out a research on synthesis of selective functional polymers known as ‘Molecularly imprinted polymers’ or artificial receptors. His research for MSc is titled ‘Synthesis and optimization of a novel molecularly imprinted polymer for the removal of interfering hemoglobin prior to whole blood analyses

Abstract:

A heavy red globular protein, hemoglobin, responsible for whole blood red pigmentation often interferes with the identification and quantification of biomarkers and toxicants/drug residues from whole blood, in fields of molecular diagnostics and forensic toxicology, respectively. The main challenge at hand has always been the direct introduction of whole blood as a sample into the analyzing instruments because of its physiological complexity and `dirty` nature. For example, the red pigment in whole blood, which is characterized as ‘dirt’, usually co-elute with the biomarkers and toxicants/drug residues and masks them from reproducible chromatographic separation prior to their final detection. It also clogs the instruments components such as the separating columns, leading to imprecise and inaccurate results during bio-assaying. To address these challenges, our lab synthesized a selective, sensitive, cheap and robust novel hemoglobin imprinted polymer (Hb-MIP) in the form of a powder, through free-radical bulk polymerization employing molecular imprinting technology (MIT), for the selective removal of interfering hemoglobin from whole blood samples prior to instrumental analysis. Following the batch rebinding experiments, the Hb-MIP powder effectively removed hemoglobin from whole blood samples as demonstrated by the UV-Vis absorbance reductions from as high as 2.50 to lower values of 0.20. It also proved to be efficient by optimally removing hemoglobin within 18 minutes. Furthermore, the powder continued to show good selectivity towards hemoglobin as demonstrated by the percentage removal efficiency of 80%, towards hemoglobin even in the presence of analogous species such as chlorophyll with negligible percentage removal efficiency of about 20%. The Hb-MIP was further compared to a commercially available clean-up material, graphitized carbon black (GCB) powder, which is pricey and not selective. The Hb-MIP powder achieved comparable selectivity in removing hemoglobin than the chlorophyll when compared to GCB which was non selective in removing the two. Thus, this preliminary work demonstrates that conventional whole blood clean-up strategies such as centrifugation, prior to whole blood analysis may be replaced by our optimal and novel clean-up strategy or our novel strategy and some conventional methods may be combined to achieve optimal clean-up of whole blood samples before molecular diagnostic and toxicology assaying. This would result in more accurate analysis and low cost of maintaining the analyzing instruments which often run into several thousand US dollars.

Biography:

Tumelo H. Tabane graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in chemistry at the university of Botswana (2012), where he carried out a research on solventless synthesis of biologically important secondary amines. He is currently into his final year of the Master of science (MSc) degree in forensic and chemical sciences, at Botswana international university of science and technology (BIUST), carriying out a research on synthesis of selective functional polymers known as ‘Molecularly imprinted polymers’ or artificial receptors. His research for MSc is titled ‘Synthesis and optimization of a novel molecularly imprinted polymer for the removal of interfering hemoglobin prior to whole blood analyses
 

Abstract:

A heavy red globular protein, hemoglobin, responsible for whole blood red pigmentation often interferes with the identification and quantification of biomarkers and toxicants/drug residues from whole blood, in fields of molecular diagnostics and forensic toxicology, respectively. The main challenge at hand has always been the direct introduction of whole blood as a sample into the analyzing instruments because of its physiological complexity and `dirty` nature. For example, the red pigment in whole blood, which is characterized as ‘dirt’, usually co-elute with the biomarkers and toxicants/drug residues and masks them from reproducible chromatographic separation prior to their final detection. It also clogs the instruments components such as the separating columns, leading to imprecise and inaccurate results during bio-assaying. To address these challenges, our lab synthesized a selective, sensitive, cheap and robust novel hemoglobin imprinted polymer (Hb-MIP) in the form of a powder, through free-radical bulk polymerization employing molecular imprinting technology (MIT), for the selective removal of interfering hemoglobin from whole blood samples prior to instrumental analysis. Following the batch rebinding experiments, the Hb-MIP powder effectively removed hemoglobin from whole blood samples as demonstrated by the UV-Vis absorbance reductions from as high as 2.50 to lower values of 0.20. It also proved to be efficient by optimally removing hemoglobin within 18 minutes. Furthermore, the powder continued to show good selectivity towards hemoglobin as demonstrated by the percentage removal efficiency of 80%, towards hemoglobin even in the presence of analogous species such as chlorophyll with negligible percentage removal efficiency of about 20%. The Hb-MIP was further compared to a commercially available clean-up material, graphitized carbon black (GCB) powder, which is pricey and not selective. The Hb-MIP powder achieved comparable selectivity in removing hemoglobin than the chlorophyll when compared to GCB which was non selective in removing the two. Thus, this preliminary work demonstrates that conventional whole blood clean-up strategies such as centrifugation, prior to whole blood analysis may be replaced by our optimal and novel clean-up strategy or our novel strategy and some conventional methods may be combined to achieve optimal clean-up of whole blood samples before molecular diagnostic and toxicology assaying. This would result in more accurate analysis and low cost of maintaining the analyzing instruments which often run into several thousand US dollars.

Biography:

Tumelo H. Tabane graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in chemistry at the university of Botswana (2012), where he carried out a research on solventless synthesis of biologically important secondary amines. He is currently into his final year of the Master of science (MSc) degree in forensic and chemical sciences, at Botswana international university of science and technology (BIUST), carriying out a research on synthesis of selective functional polymers known as ‘Molecularly imprinted polymers’ or artificial receptors. His research for MSc is titled ‘Synthesis and optimization of a novel molecularly imprinted polymer for the removal of interfering hemoglobin prior to whole blood analyses
 

Abstract:

A heavy red globular protein, hemoglobin, responsible for whole blood red pigmentation often interferes with the identification and quantification of biomarkers and toxicants/drug residues from whole blood, in fields of molecular diagnostics and forensic toxicology, respectively. The main challenge at hand has always been the direct introduction of whole blood as a sample into the analyzing instruments because of its physiological complexity and `dirty` nature. For example, the red pigment in whole blood, which is characterized as ‘dirt’, usually co-elute with the biomarkers and toxicants/drug residues and masks them from reproducible chromatographic separation prior to their final detection. It also clogs the instruments components such as the separating columns, leading to imprecise and inaccurate results during bio-assaying. To address these challenges, our lab synthesized a selective, sensitive, cheap and robust novel hemoglobin imprinted polymer (Hb-MIP) in the form of a powder, through free-radical bulk polymerization employing molecular imprinting technology (MIT), for the selective removal of interfering hemoglobin from whole blood samples prior to instrumental analysis. Following the batch rebinding experiments, the Hb-MIP powder effectively removed hemoglobin from whole blood samples as demonstrated by the UV-Vis absorbance reductions from as high as 2.50 to lower values of 0.20. It also proved to be efficient by optimally removing hemoglobin within 18 minutes. Furthermore, the powder continued to show good selectivity towards hemoglobin as demonstrated by the percentage removal efficiency of 80%, towards hemoglobin even in the presence of analogous species such as chlorophyll with negligible percentage removal efficiency of about 20%. The Hb-MIP was further compared to a commercially available clean-up material, graphitized carbon black (GCB) powder, which is pricey and not selective. The Hb-MIP powder achieved comparable selectivity in removing hemoglobin than the chlorophyll when compared to GCB which was non selective in removing the two. Thus, this preliminary work demonstrates that conventional whole blood clean-up strategies such as centrifugation, prior to whole blood analysis may be replaced by our optimal and novel clean-up strategy or our novel strategy and some conventional methods may be combined to achieve optimal clean-up of whole blood samples before molecular diagnostic and toxicology assaying. This would result in more accurate analysis and low cost of maintaining the analyzing instruments which often run into several thousand US dollars.

Biography:

Margherita Morandini has completed the courses for Human Resourse Management and Coordination in Healthcare from SDA Bocconi School of Management, her Master in Biomedical Science in 2007 from Padua University School of Medicine, and postmaster studies in Clinical Risk Management and Health Technology Assessment from the same University. She is biomedical scientist and laboratory organization manager, Quality Manager, Auditor for ISO 15189 and 9001, POCT Coordinator of the AAS 5 Laboratory Vast Area. She is Vice-President of SIPMeL Biomedical Scientist, delegate of European Association for Professions in Biomedical Sciences (EPBS), SIPMeL delegate for CLSI, member of AACC, member of SIBioC. She has published more than 20 papers in reputed journals and was invited speaker in several National and International Meetings. 

Abstract:

In Laboratory Medicine, organizational and technological innovation are strictly binding together but the generation of organizational innovation is not simply a technology driven one, because of the increasing role of patient-centered laboratory concept in designing contemporary clinical laboratory. Moreover, the innovation in Laboratory Medicine organization must move along the basic axis of asset management (operational level and reorganization), knowledge management (new competences and roles) and disease management (effectiveness, appropriateness and translational medicine). The basis of organizational innovation in Laboratory Medicine are the modern concept of innovative organization from Mintzberg, the evolutionary theory of quality from PDSA to six sigma and lean, and the theories of people role in strategizing from Jens Dahlgaard to Paula Jarzabkowski.

Therefore, in the present scenario of hard transformation of the Laboratory Medicine, the “manager” role is not simply managing the preexistent structures and processes, but  strategizing, organizing, and managing structures, workforce, processes, outcomes and perspectives  of the laboratory, based on the general mission and vision of Laboratory Medicine as discipline (information and consultation) and of the individual laboratory, on the evidence-based laboratory medicine method, on the “new” focus of Laboratory Medicine (the patient), and open to the future. For Laboratory Medicine, strategizing is thinking and building the laboratories around the patient need, step-by-step from information system to the analytic system, by dynamic stability or disruptive innovation depending on social, political, and cultural conditions. The organization is based on a shared and coordinated work of an interdisciplinary and interprofessional  team, unified by its mission and the leadership. Today, the “manager” role is one of main duty of the leader, as cultural transformer, supported by his/her 7 Cs (moral compass, compassion, contribution, commitment, communication, collaboration and creativity). 

Biography:

Abstract:

The two principal determining steps in molecular diagnosis are the amplification and the identification steps. Accuracy of DNA amplification is primarily determined by the annealing sequence of the PCR primer to the analyte DNA. Accuracy for identification is determined either by the annealing region of a labelled probe for the real time PCR analysis, or the annealing of a sequencing primer for DNA sequencing analysis, that binds to the respective analyte (amplicon). Presently, housekeeping genes (Beta globin, GAPDH) are used in molecular diagnosis to verify that the PCR conditions are optimum, and are thus known as amplification controls . Although these genes have been useful as amplification controls, they lack the true definition of an internal control because the primers and annealing conditions are not identical to the analyte being assayed. This may result in a false negative report . The IC-Code platform technology described here provides a true internal control where the internal control and analyte share identical PCR primers annealing sequences for the amplification step and identical sequencing primer annealing sequence for the identification step. The analyte and internal control have the same PCR and sequencing annealing sequences. This method assures for little or no false negatives and false positives due to the method’s design of using identical annealing conditions for the internal control and analyte, and by using DNA sequencing analysis for the identification step of the analyte, respectively. This method also allows for a set lower limit of detection to be used by varying the amount of internal control used in the assay.
 

Biography:

Hongjiang Chen has completed his Mphil at the age of 28 years from Shantou University Medical College. He is an orthopedic surgeons in the First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College.He has published more than 2 papers in reputed journals “Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine” and “journal of biological chemistry”.

Abstract:

Imaging is routinely used for clinical and diagnostic purposes, but techniques capable of high specificity and resolution for the early detection of nerve injury are still limited. Photoacoustic imaging (PAI), a novel imaging modality that combines the merits of laser and ultrasound, offers high contrast, high resolution, and satisfactory tissue penetration. So we aim to exploit the novel PAI with functionalized targeted probe for detection of early nerve injury. After the sciatic nerve was crushed, we found that heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) becomes highly upregulated within 3 to 7 days of nerve injury. Taking advantage of this expression pattern, we conjugated gold nanorods (GNRs) to HSP27-specific antibodies to generate a nanoprobe (GNR-HSP27Abs) that could be targeted to the site of nerve injury and detected by near-infrared photoacoustic imaging. The absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy and zeta potential confirmed that the HSP27Abs was well-coupled to GNRs and was indicative of successful nanoprobe synthesis. Notably, photoacoustic images acquired 12 hours after local administration of GNR-HSP27Abs demonstrated that the nanoprobe can distinguish between injured and uninjured nerves in rats. The toxicity assay results showed no cytotoxicity against human cell lines and no such inflammatory reactions occurred in these injection regions. Taken together, these findings expand the application of nanoprobe-targeted photoacoustic imaging to the detection of injured nerves, and prompt further development of this novel imaging platform for clinical application.

Biography:

Bareki Shima Batlokwa is a Senior Lecturer of Analytical Chemistry and an Acting HOD of the Department of Chemical and Forensic Sciences at the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), Botswana. His research interest is on the development of nanomaterials in the form of polymer powders, nanofibers, nano particles, films and quantum dots for application as screening tools in molecular diagnostics, food safety, water filtration as well as sample clean-up and purification for accurate analysis of complex samples of biological, medical, pharmaceutical, food and environmental origin. 

Abstract:

This work presents preliminary results of a selective, sensitive and efficient sample clean-up method based on a newly developed molecularly imprinted electrospun nanofiber solid phase extraction (SPE) sorbent that was fabricated in our laboratory. Current molecular diagnostic assay methods face a challenge of lack of direct and accurate analysis despite employing sensitive, hyphenated analytical instruments with quantification and detection limits down to femto level. The lack of direct and accurate analysis is due to the fact that biological samples are characterized by dirty and complex matrices which often introduce severe disturbances in the analytical separation and detection steps. Of consequence, quantitative analysis can only be achieved after an efficient and extensive clean-up step(s) prior to instrumental analysis. To achieve this, sample handling strategies relying on selective, sensitive, robust, cheap and intelligent functional materials are needed prior to separation and detection. An example of such materials has recently been identified as molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). MIPs are synthetic, nano-porous polymers possessing specific cavities designed to capture a target analyte. In our quest for optimal sample clean-up strategies, we combined molecular imprinting and electrospinning technologies to fabricate very selective and sensitive polymer materials, respectively in the form of nanofibers for the selective removal of bile salts especially cholic acid and hemoglobin that interfere with the accurate instrumental analysis of trace biomarkers, drug residues or their metabolites in the human bile or blood samples, respectively. Two different and independent nanofiber materials were synthesized. The synthesized molecularly imprinted electrospun nanofibers for cholic acid and hemoglobin removal were employed as SPE sorbents and their performance in removing cholic acid and hemoglobin, respectively were compared to custom made MIP powder (micro-particles) counterparts, also prepared to remove interfering cholic acid and hemoglobin prior to instrumental analysis. The results showed 100% cholic acid and 69% hemoglobin removal by the MIP nanofibers from standard solutions relative to 80% cholic acid and 51% hemoglobin removal by the MIP micro particles. Therefore, these preliminary results open the possibility of moving from particle based SPE to fabricating more sensitive and selective MIP nanofiber based SPE sorbents with specific chemistries for removing interfering bile salts at ultra-trace concentrations in molecular diagnostic analysis of human bile samples for trace biomarkers, drug residues or their metabolites analysis. For the hemoglobin removal we recommend a combination of centrifugation and the MIP materials in order to attain optimal clean-up of blood samples prior to instrumental analysis. This would result in more accurate analysis as well as low maintenance work of the instrument and low maintenance cost which often run into several thousand US dollars.

Biography:

Mehdi Koohgard is a PhD student in Shiraz University. He has published more than 3 papers in the journals and attended many national seminars. He is also an expert in photo-induced organic reactions by photocatalyst.

Abstract:

If light is to be emitted from substance(s) as through means of jumping down of an electron from a higher position to a lower energy level, as defined by modern physics mainstream phenomenalism, then the collocation of an arbitrarily chosen “central” atom with its adjacent atoms would most naturally provide a hypothetical matrix for observations and calculations to be carried out regarding how much the boundary-atom schemes can probably replace the already routine procedures in the workings of optical physics. True to the fact is that: ordinary large-sized molecules (with from 100 to 1000 atoms) mostly having their origin in relatively stable biomolecular structures may –with some computational difficulties—provide some sort of continuum for studying optical links through neighboring atoms vibrations without specific recourse, for example, to yet other atoms whose gradually increasing distance to the “central” atom brings in parameters of beyond-5-Å NON-BOUNDARY conditions that are normally too complicated to be brought out by Eigen functions as Eigen values. There is, of course molar fractions of vibration quality atoms again to be constructurally role-playing in nearly exact determination of the amount of error arising from the actuality that biomolecular atomic regionalization gets out of the state of arbitrariness. In case this parameter were not to be detectable, adjustable (through adding on or deleting metal atoms on recipient sites on the said large molecules, or: alternatively, through being in possession of optic isomers) or even removable (say, by means of picking totally different biomolecules), the clamped string of atoms considered to be in the same region should have, consequently, not provided constraints to assist in building up even the differential equations themselves. 

Biography:

Reza Sanaye finished the high school period with an O-Level degree in mathematics and exact sciences, and A-Level diploma in Biology and Natural Sciences. He went for three quarters of theoretical physics college education before he shifted to starting a full 5-year period of eleven semesters for receiving his agronomic engineering degree. As for “Master”, he was honored by a degree in Philosophy of Science(s). He is a specialist in comparing the philosophy of technology and applied sciences with that of theoretical sciences. 

Abstract:

When a paradigm starts to show signs of failure to cope with significant questions in any basic/applied branch of human knowledge, there come on the scene those who have perused the related literature enough to either answer those major questions according to the established paradigm or proffer a (wholly) new way of looking at things. In the latter case, the history of science tells us, a paradigm shift takes place. Modern medicine cannot be proven to be totally disconnected from its traditional roots. Where traditional medicine came to give its place to present-day conventional medicine, a number of humanistic aspects of healing in addition to some axioms of olden wisdom were actually lost. Employing a personalized strategy by taking into account the patient’s specific conditions, Integrative Medicine (IM) endeavors to apply all appropriate interventions from a whole set of science branches to bring back health. However, this does not remain fully without its own challenges from almost all sides. Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) on the one hand, and: Evidence Based Medicine (EBM), on the other, has their own rightful say in the affair. Delving deep into the details of medical history’s ups and downs, and examining –from the philosophy of medicine’s and philosophy of science’s standpoint– the pros and cons of integrative medicine, this present treatise makes a systemic, inter-disciplinary effort to put forward the best possible paradigmatology in a methodical way as far as the demands of society are concerned.