Evaluation of Celiac Disease by Minimally Invasive Biomarkers in a Spanish Pediatric Population.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of celiac disease (CD) has been substantially improved with the availability of highly sensitive CD-specific IgA-TG2, Ig-GDP, and IgA-EMA. The European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) published (2012) and updated (2020) diagnostic criteria for CD in order to simplify CD diagnosis and to avoid biopsies in selected patients. METHODS: A prospective study including 5641 pediatric patients (0-16 years old) from January 2012 to January 2019 was performed. CD diagnosis was made according to the ESPGHAN algorithm. The objective of this study was to evaluate the utility of biomarkers and the relationship between TGA-IgA and EMA titers. RESULTS: CD diagnoses were confirmed in 113 patients, 110 were IgA-TG2-positive and 3 (2.7%) had IgA deficiency. The diagnosis was made by serologic tests in 95 (84.1%) patients. Only 18 (15.9%) patients underwent intestinal biopsy. We obtained 100% concordance between IgA-EMA and positive results for IgA-TG2 ≥ 10 ULN with IgA-EMA antibody titer ≥ 1:80. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence of a positive correlation between IgA-TG2 antibody serum levels and IgA-EMA. The diagnosis could be guaranteed with strict application of IgA-TG2 values ≥ 10 ULN (confirmed by subsequent testing) plus the serological response to the gluten-free diet (GFD).

Ki-67 immunoexpression and radiological assessment of necrosis improves accuracy of conventional and modified core biopsy systems in predicting the final grade assigned to adult-soft tissue sarcomas. An international collaborative study.

Based on the French Federation Nationale des Centers de Lutte Contre le Cancer (FNCLCC) grading system, this study assesses the accuracy of conventional and modified core biopsy (CB) systems in predicting the final grade (low vs high) assigned to the resected specimen. Substituting Ki-67 immunoexpression for mitotic count, and radiological for histological assessment of necrosis, we used two modified FNCLCC CB grading systems: (1) Ki-67 immunoexpression alone, and (2) Ki-67 plus radiological assessment of necrosis. We graded 199 soft tissue sarcomas (STS) from nine centers, and compared the results for the conventional (obtained from local histopathology reports) and modified CB systems with the final FNCLCC grading of the corresponding resected specimens. Due to insufficient sample quality or lack of available radiologic data, five cases were not evaluated for Ki67 or radiological assessment of necrosis. The conventional FNCLCC CB grading system accurately identified 109 of the 130 high-grade cases (83.8%). The CB grading matched the final FNCLCC grading (low vs high) in 175 (87.9%) of the 199 resected tumors; overestimating the final grade in three cases and underestimating in 21 cases. Modified system 1 (Ki-67) accurately identified 117 of the 130 high-grade cases (90.0%). The CB grading matched the final FNCLCC grading (low vs high) in 175 (89.7%) of the 195 evaluated cases; overestimating seven and underestimating 13 cases. Modified system 2 (Ki-67 plus radiological necrosis) accurately identified 120 of the 130 high-grade cases (92.3%). This last matched the final FNCLCC grading (low vs high) in 177 (91.2%) of the 194 evaluated cases; overestimating seven and underestimating 10 cases. Modified system 2 obtained highest area under ROC curves, although not statistically significant. Underestimated CB grades did not correlate with histological subtypes, although many of the discrepant cases were myxoid tumors (myxofibrosarcomas or myxoid liposarcomas), leiomyosarcomas or undifferentiated pleomorphic/spindle cell sarcomas. Using modified FNCLCC CB grading systems to replace conventional mitotic count and histologic assessment of necrosis may improve the distinction between low and high-grade STS on CB. Our study confirms that classifying grade 1 as low grade and grades 2 and 3 as high grade improves correlation between CB and final grade by up to 21%, irrespective of CB system used. A higher than expected Ki-67 score in a low-grade sarcoma diagnosed on CB should raise concern that a higher-grade component may not have been sampled. Furthermore, correlation of all clinicopathological and radiological findings at multidisciplinary meetings is essential to assess the histological grade on CB as accurately as possible.

THEMS: an automated thermal and hyperspectral proximal sensing system for canopy reflectance, radiance and temperature.

BACKGROUND: Earth Observation 'EO' remote sensing technology development enables original insights into vegetation function and health at ever finer temporal, spectral and spatial resolution. Research sites equipped with monitoring infrastructure such as flux towers operate at a key bridging scale between satellite platform measurements and on-the-ground leaf-level processes. RESULTS: This paper presents the technical details of the design and operation of a proximal observation system 'THEMS' that generates unattended long-term high quality thermal and hyperspectral images of a forest canopy on a short (sub-daily) timescale. The primary purpose of the system is to measure canopy temperature, spectral reflectance and radiance coincident with a highly instrumented flux tower site for benchmarking purposes. Basic system capability is demonstrated through low level data product descriptions of the high-resolution multi-angular imagery and ancillary data streams. The system has been successfully operational for more than 2 years with little to no intervention. CONCLUSIONS: These data can then be used to derive remotely sensed proxies of canopy and ecosystem function to study temporal forest dynamics over a wide range of wavelengths, spatial scales (individual trees to canopy), and temporal scales (minutes to multiple years). The multi-purpose system is intended to provide unprecedented spatio-temporal ecophysiological insight and to underpin upscaling of remotely sensed dynamic ecosystem water, CO2, and energy exchange processes.

About the correct definition of acanthocytes for their use as markers of glomerular haematuria / Sobre la correcta definición de los acantocitos para su uso como marcadores de hematuria glomerular

Acanthocytes, when≥5% of urinary erythrocytes examined, are considered as the most reliable marker of glomerular haematuria. However, some uncertainties still exist in the literature about their morphological definition. The aim of this paper is to discuss this topic and to suggest a univocal definition of acanthocytes as erythrocytes with the shape of a ring with one or more protrusions

Los acantocitos, cuando son≥5% de los eritrocitos urinarios examinados, se consideran el marcador más fiable de la hematuria glomerular. Sin embargo, todavía existen algunas incertidumbres en la literatura acerca de su definición morfológica. El objetivo de este artículo es discutir este tema y proponer una definición unívoca de los acantocitos como eritrocitos con la forma de un anillo con una o más protuberancias

High-Frequency Color Doppler Sonography of Bullous Pemphigoid: Correlation With Histologic Findings.

Bullous pemphigoid is the most frequent autoimmune-mediated blistering skin disease, belonging to the group of subepidermal bullae. We performed high-frequency color Doppler sonography in 3 cases of bullous pemphigoid, in bullous and adjacent non-bullous skin, which showed homogeneous sonographic findings. Subepidermal cystic structures with dermal hypoechogenicity were observed in bullous skin. In nonbullous skin, the dermis showed hypoechogenicity compared to normal skin. Color Doppler signals were increased in both areas. These findings correlate histologically with subepidermal bullae and dermal inflammatory infiltrates.

Evaluación de un nuevo reactivo monoclonal, N-Látex Free Light Chains, para la cuantificación nefelométrica de las cadenas ligeras Kappa y Lambda libres en suero / Evaluation of a new monoclonal reagent, N-Látex Free Light Chains, for nefelometric quantification of free light chain kappa and lambda in serum

Introducción. Con la evaluación del ensayo de cadenas ligeras libres en suero Kappa y Lambda (FLC), pretendemos colaborar en la imprescindible estandarización internacional de esta técnica. Su utilidad en el diagnóstico y seguimiento de mielomas, gammapatías de significado incierto (MGUS), amiloidosis, plasmocitomas solitarios etc. está ampliamente demostrada en la bibliografía, las guías clínicas internacionales las incluyen para el específico diagnóstico de las discrasias de células plasmáticas. Material y métodos. Se evaluó un nuevo reactivo N-Látex CLL para nefelometría, basado en anticuerpos monoclonales, que lleva adjunto un reactivo suplementario específico, que fue desarrollado con inmunoglobulinas de ratón. Resultados. La exactitud y precisión del método evaluadas con controles de 3 niveles de concentración fueron aceptables. Se ha comparado este reactivo con el Freelite(R), procesando 30 muestras de pacientes, por el nefelómetro BNII (Siemens), se solventaron los falsos positivos del 2.°. Así mismo, se comparó el método por nefelometría (BN II) frente a turbidimetría (SPA PLUS) los resultados fueron favorables a la nefelometría. En cuanto a sensibilidad y especificidad del método evaluado, se realizaron las curvas ROC, con 60 pacientes y se obtuvieron resultados con una moderada correlación. Discusión. Consideramos que la falta de reproductibilidad en la cuantificación de las FLC existente, se debía a los factores: alta variabilidad entre los lotes de reactivos de la misma casa comercial; diferencias en los resultados de las muestras con elevadas concentraciones de FLC por no incluir el chequeo de exceso de antígeno, y diferencias en los principios de medida de los autoanalizadores utilizados (AU)

Introduction. Evaluation of testing of serum free light chains Kappa and Lambda (FLC), to collaborate on the essential international standardization of this technique. Its usefulness in diagnosis and follow-up of myeloma, Gammapatías of undeterminated significance (MGUS), amyloidosis, solitary plasmocitomas etc. is amply demonstrated in the literature, the international clinical guidelines include them for the specific diagnosis of the discrasias of plasma cells. Material and methods. We evaluated a new reagent N-Látex CLL for Nephelometry, based on monoclonal antibodies, which leads attached a supplementary reagent specific, which was developed with mouse immunoglobulins. Results. The accuracy and precision of the method evaluated with 3 levels of concentration controls were acceptable. It has been compared this reagent with the existing 30 samples from patients with the nephelometer BNII (Siemens), false positives of the 2nd were overcome. Likewise compared the method by nephelometry (BN II) against turbidimetry (SPA PLUS) the results were favourable to the nephelometry reference technique. In terms of sensitivity and specificity of the evaluated method, ROC curves, with 60 patients were conducted and results with a moderate correlation. Discussion. We believe that the lack of reproducibility in the quantification of the FLC due to factors: high variability between batches of reagents in the same commercial House; differences in the results of the samples with high concentrations of FLC, for not including the checking of antigen excess, and differences in the principles of the used clinical measurement (AU)