[Semiautomatic procedure for determining urine iron in subjects treated with deferoxamine B]. / Procedimento semiautomatico per la determinazione del ferro urinario in soggetti trattati con deferossamina B.

A semiautomatic method for the determination of urine iron during treatment with deferoxamine B has been evaluated: samples were diluted 1:10 with a TCA 10% and thioglycolic acid 1.1% solution and processed after centrifugation by the aca III discrete clinical analyzer Du Pont. In this way an overestimation of values depending on the turbidity caused by proteins is avoided and the bad smell is limited thanks to the very low concentration of the thioglycolic acid solution. A good correlation with the atomic absorption spectrophotometry, specially for values less than or equal to 20 mg/l, was observed examining urine samples of 150 patients treated with deferoxamine B.

[Procedure for identifying atypical variants of pseudocholinesterase for the prevention of prolonged apnea induced by succinylcholine]. / Procedimento per l'individuazione delle varianti atipiche della pseudocolinesterasi ai fini della prevenzione dell'apnea protratta indotta dalla succinildicolina.

The simple Sclavo test based on succinyldicholine hydrolysis and on the following reaction with 5,5'-dithio-bis-2-nitrobenzoic acid for detection of the atypical patterns of serum cholinesterase has been investigated. A yellow staining appears but in presence of the atypical forms of the enzyme. Analysis of 4055 serum samples by the 430 Selective Analyzer Sclavo allowed the identification of one atypical homozygous patient. Prolonged apnoea induced by use of succinyldicholine as a neuromuscular blocking agent during anaesthesia may be avoided by use of this test.

[Frequency of microalbuminuria in children]. / Frequenza della microalbuminuria nella popolazione infantile.

Urinary samples overnight collected from 550 pediatric patients with normal urine analysis and normal serum levels of creatinine, urea and glucose were tested for the presence of microalbuminuria by a latex test. Only 3 cases (0.6%) were positive even with RIA method; the difference with the percentage observed in adults (4.5%) is highly significant.

[Reference values of serum creatinine measured automatically by the Jaffé fixed-time reaction]. / Valori di riferimento della creatininemia valutati per via automatica mediante la reazione "fixed time" di Jaffe.

1077 serum samples collected from patients of both sexes showing values of creatininemia less than or equal to 1.4 mg/dl as evaluated by the enzymatic colorimetric method (Wako reagents, Cobas Fara analyzer) have been processed using 430 Selective Analyzer Sclavo. Test for imprecision and inaccuracy within-run and between-day (40) showing very low values (less than 3%) of variation and bias coefficients, preliminarily demonstrated the reliability of the automatic fixed time Jaffé's reaction. Statistical analysis gives these values: means = 0.66 mg/dl, deviation standard (DS) = 0.20 mg/dl, means + 2 DS = 1.06 mg/dl, in good agreement with data provided by the enzymatic procedure.

[Reference values for sialic acid in the urine]. / Valori di riferimento dell'acido sialico nell'urina.

Sialic acid levels were evaluated by means of the enzymatic colorimetric Biochemia method on 24 hours urine samples of 250 males and females; the urine analysis, serum urea and glucose and creatinine clearance were in normal range. Means values of urinary sialic acid on samples treated with charcoal powder activated to remove the pyruvate-oxidase inhibitors were: 53.4 mg/l, 63.5 mg/24 hours and 58.7 mg/24 hours/1.73 m2.

[Evaluation of a colorimetric enzymatic method for the determination of sialic acid in serum]. / Valutazione di un metodo enzimatico colorimetrico per la determinazione dell'acido sialico nel siero.

Evaluation of sialic acid in serum was done by means of an enzymatic colorimetric method using the Biochemia Sialic Acid kit. Precision and accuracy within-run and run-to-run were high and linearity was observed just to a 170 mg/dl concentration. Reference values evaluated in 2700 samples were: mean = 65.3 mg/dl; mean +/- 2 standard deviations = 52.0-78.6 mg/dl.