Urinary Biomarkers may Complement the Cleveland Score for Prediction of Adverse Kidney Events After Cardiac Surgery: A Pilot Study

BACKGROUND: The ability of urinary biomarkers to complement established clinical risk prediction models for postoperative adverse kidney events is unclear. We assessed the effect of urinary biomarkers linked to suspected pathogenesis of cardiac surgery-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) on the performance of the Cleveland Score, a risk assessment model for postoperative adverse kidney events. METHODS: This pilot study included 100 patients who underwent open-heart surgery. We determined improvements to the Cleveland Score when adding urinary biomarkers measured using clinical laboratory platforms (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin [NGAL], interleukin-6) and those in the preclinical stage (hepcidin-25, midkine, alpha-1 microglobulin), all sampled immediately post-surgery. The primary endpoint was major adverse kidney events (MAKE), and the secondary endpoint was AKI. We performed ROC curve analysis, assessed baseline model performance (odds ratios [OR], 95% CI), and carried out statistical reclassification analyses to assess model improvement. RESULTS: NGAL (OR [95% CI] per 20 concentration-units wherever applicable): (1.07 [1.01–1.14]), Interleukin-6 (1.51 [1.01–2.26]), midkine (1.01 [1.00–1.02]), 1-hepcidin-25 (1.08 [1.00–1.17]), and NGAL/hepcidin-ratio (2.91 [1.30–6.49]) were independent predictors of MAKE and AKI (1.38 [1.03–1.85], 1.08 [1.01–1.15], 1.01 [1.00–1.02], 1.09 [1.01–1.18], and 3.45 [1.54–7.72]). Category-free net reclassification improvement identified interleukin-6 as a model-improving biomarker for MAKE and NGAL for AKI. However, only NGAL/hepcidin-25 improved model performance for event- and event-free patients for MAKE and AKI. CONCLUSIONS: NGAL and interleukin-6 measured immediately post cardiac surgery may complement the Cleveland Score. The combination of biomarkers with hepcidin-25 may further improve diagnostic discrimination.

Proposed Imprecision Quality Goals for Urinary Albumin/Creatinine Ratio

BACKGROUND: The urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) is an important indicator of albuminuria. We aimed to estimate ACR uncertainty and its impact on test results and proposed imprecision quality goals based on the estimated uncertainty. METHODS: The combined ACR uncertainty was calculated using the individual uncertainties of urinary albumin and creatinine. ACR confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated based on the expanded uncertainty. When the CI contained the ACR category boundary (30 or 300 mg/g), the cases were considered ambiguous. Quality goals for ACR were suggested using the number of ambiguous cases among actual patient results. RESULTS: The number of ambiguous cases resulting from the combined ACR uncertainty was higher than expected based on biological variation (BV) quality goals. When the ACR met BV quality specifications, we estimated that 4.8–15.5% of the results may have been misclassified. To minimize the number of ambiguous results, the minimum, desirable, and optimum quality goals were set at 34.0%, 18.0%, and 4.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We expressed ACR uncertainty using the uncertainties of urinary albumin and creatinine and assessed the impact of this combined uncertainty on the test results. Subsequently, we proposed imprecision quality goals for ACR based on ambiguous results.

Carcinoma diferenciado de tiroides: reclasificación del riesgo de recurrencia según la respuesta al tratamiento inicial / Differentiated Thyroid Cancer: Reclassification of the Risk of Recurrence Based on the Response to Initial Treatment

Introducción: la clasificación de la American Thyroid Association (ATA) para carcinoma diferenciado de tiroides (CDT) aporta una visión estática del paciente al inicio y no está diseñada para ser modificada. El Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MS-KCC) diseñó una reclasificación a 2 años del tratamiento inicial (TI), permitiendo tener una óptica más dinámica. Objetivo: comunicar nuestra experiencia con la reclasificación del riesgo de recurrencia de los pacientes con CDT según el sistema del MS-KCC. Material y métodos: estudio observacional retrospectivo descriptivo de los resultados de la reclasificación del riesgo de recurrencia de los pacientes con CDT a 2 años del TI. Los clasificamos al inicio según la ATA y los reclasificamos a 2 años del TI según el MS-KCC. Resultados: clasificamos 31 pacientes según ATA: riesgo bajo 17 (54,8 %), riesgo intermedio 13 (42 %) y riesgo alto 1 (3,2 %) y reclasificación según MS-KCC: respuesta excelente 25 (80,6 %), respuesta aceptable 6 (19,4 %) y respuesta incompleta 0 (0 %). De los riesgo bajo, 14 (82,4 %) tuvieron una respuesta excelente y 3 (17,6 %) respuesta aceptable; los de riesgo intermedio, 11 (84,6 %) respuesta excelente y 2 (15,4 %) respuesta aceptable y los de riesgo alto, 1 (100 %) respuesta aceptable. Estado clínico a 2 años del TI: libre de enfermedad (LE) 25 (80,6 %) y persistencia bioquímica (PB) 6 (19,4 %). Al final del seguimiento a largo plazo, los pacientes con respuesta excelente, 24 (96 %) permanecieron LE y 1 (4 %) sin datos por falta de seguimiento. Conclusiones: 1) la reclasificación fue de gran utilidad principalmente en el grupo de riesgo intermedio, 2 la reclasificación nos permitirá optimizar el seguimiento de los pacientes y 3) hubo buena correlación entre el estado clínico a 2 años del TI y al final del seguimiento a largo plazo. Rev Argent Endocrinol Metab 51:8-14, 2014 Los autores declaran no poseer conflictos de interés.

Introduction: differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is the most frequent endocrine tumor generally showing a favourable outcome. The American Thyroid Association (ATA) classification system is not only useful to assess the risk of recurrence but also guides tumor follow-up. However, this system shows a static image of the patient at the beginning of treatment based on clinical and pathological features, and it has not been designed to be modified along the clinical course of disease. Therefore, the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MS-KCC) has designed a reclassification system after 2 years of the initial treatment (IT) thus providing a dynamic perspective of each patient. Objective: to report our experience with the MS-KCC risk of recurrence reclassification system on DTC patients. Materials and methods: retrospective observational descriptive study of the results of the reclassification system of the DCT patients after two years of IT with surgery and radioiodine ablation, between October 2004 and April 2011. Data was obtained by reviewing the charts of patients. All surgeries, laboratory determinations and nuclear medicine procedures took place at our Hospital. Patients were classified according to initial risk of recurrence based on the ATA system and they were reclassified following the system proposed by the MS-KCC 2 years after IT. Patients with antithyroglobulin antibodies > 12 IU/ml were excluded due to interference with thyroglobulin determination. Results: we reviewed data of 31 patients diagnosed with DTC. They were classified according to the ATA system as: low risk 17 (54.8 %), intermediate risk 13 (42 %) and high risk 1 (3.2 %) and they were reclassified following the MS-KCC system as having: excellent response 25 (80.6 %), acceptable response 6 (19.4 %) and incomplete response 0 (0 %). An excellent response was observed in 14 (82.4 %) and an acceptable response was observed in 3 (17.6 %) of the low-risk classified patients; an excellent response was observed in 11 (84.6 %) and an acceptable response was observed in 2 (15.4 %) of the intermediate-risk classified patients and in the high-risk group 1 patient (100 %) presented an acceptable response. Clinical status of patients after 2 years of IT: 25 (80.6 %) with no evidence of disease (NED), 6 (19.4 %) with biochemical persistence (BP) and 0 (0 %) with structural persistence (EP), recurrence (R) or death (D). After a mean long-term follow-up period of 51.3 months, the clinical status was: 25 (80.6 %) with NED, 4 (12.9 %) with BP and (0 %) with EP, R or D; for the remaining 2 (6.5 %) no long-term follow-up data was available (ND). At the end of the long-term follow-up period, 24 (96 %) patients with excellent response after 2 years of IT remained NED, whereas 1 (4 %) was reported as ND and 1 (16.7 %) patient with acceptable response after 2 years of IT remained NED (initially this was a low-risk patient), 4 (66.6 %) remained BP, 1 (16.7 %) was reported as ND and no EP, R or D was observed. Conclusions: 1) reclassification of patients was particularly useful in the intermediate risk group because 84.6 % of these patients had an excellent response after two years of IT, 2) reclassification of patients based on the response to IT, allows us to optimize their follow-up and 3) although the mean long-term follow-up period was 51.3 months, there was a good correlation between clinical status after two years of IT and after the long-term follow-up period, mainly in the excellent response group. Rev Argent Endocrinol Metab 51:8-14, 2014 No financial conflicts of interest exist.

A Study of Mixed Phenotype Acute Leukemia Based on the 2008 World Health Organization Classification / 대한진단검사의학회지

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the clinical significance of revised 2008 WHO classification needed to diagnose mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL). METHODS: A total of 22 MPAL patients, previously diagnosed by applying the scoring system of the European Group for Immunological Classification of Acute Leukemias (EGIL) were reclassified based on the 2008 WHO classification. RESULTS: In 2008 WHO classification, the number of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) required for assigning more than one lineage was markedly decreased, from 26 to 11, compared with that of EGIL. Seventeen of the 22 MPAL patients were reclassified as MPAL with following details: 6 MPAL with t(9;22)(q34;q11.2); BCR-ABL1, 1 MPAL with t(v;11q23); MLL rearranged, 7 MPAL, B/Myeloid, not otherwise specified (NOS) and 3 MPAL, T/Myeloid, NOS. Five patients were excluded from MPAL in the revised classification: 4 cytoplasmic myeloperoxidase (cMPO)-negative and 1 CD19-negative. The failure of complete remission achievement and occurrence of relapse were associated with poor prognosis (P=0.0002 and P=0.009, respectively). But the presence of Philadelphia chromsome was not significantly related with patient outcome (P=0.082). One patient with cCD79a, CD20, CD38, cMPO and CD15, whose diagnosis was reclassified from MPAL to AML has survived during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Because of decreased number of mAbs needed, it is possible that acute leukemia panel is designed to include all mAbs required to diagnose MPAL according to 2008 WHO classification. When diagnosing MPAL, it is critical to figure out positivity in either cMPO or CD19, and AML expressing more than 2 lymphoid antigens are considered as MPAL.

Evaluation of IRISiQ200 Full Automated Urine Analyzer / 医疗卫生装备

Objective To evaluate the function of IRISiQ200 full automated urine analyzer and its clinical application of user re-classification function.Methods The reproducibility,linearity and mutual infection rate of IRISiQ200 were detected.116 fresh urine specimen were obtained from outpatient and inpatient at random.After the specimen were detected with IRISiQ200,the doubtful urine sediment images were discriminated repeatedly by user reclassification.The microscopic quantitation in uncentrifuged samples was used as reference.Results IRISiQ200 showed good reproducibility,linearity and lower mutual infection rate.The performances by using iQ-200 were: erythrocytes Y=0.596X+11.353,R2=0.834;leukocytes Y=0.468X+5.745,R2=0.708;epithelial cells Y=0.524X-2.649,R2=0.815.The performances after reclassification: erythrocytes Y=0.895X-3.328,R2=0.997;leukocytes Y=0.786X-1.880,R2=0.976;epithelial cells Y=0.911X-5.502,R2=0.992.Conclusion IRISiQ200 full automated urine analyzer shows excellent performance.There is fine correlation between iQ-200 and microscopic quantitation in uncentrifuged samples,and the urine sediment can be observed intuitively by using reclassification function.The doubtful urine sediment images can be discriminated.It can degrade the instrument error and increase the detection accuracy greatly.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2008,29(2):82-83,85]