Urinalysis is one of the habitual clinical laboratory procedures, which implies that one of the largest sample volumes currently requires significant labor to examine microscopic sediments. Different analyzers currently used to perform this task have been compared with the manual microscopic sediment examination. The Atlas Clinitek 10 (Bayer Corporation, Diagnostics Division, Tarrytown, NY) and Urisys 2400 (Hitachi Science Systems Ltd., Ibaraki, Japan) test strips analyzers and two automated urinalysis systems, Sysmex UF-100 (Sysmex Corporation Kobe, Japan) and IRIS iQ200 (International Imaging Remote Systems, Chatsworth, CA), have been considered. We assessed the concordance between the results obtained from 652 freshly collected urine samples for erythrocytes (RBC), leukocytes (WBC), squamous epithelial cells (EC), nitrites/bacteria, and crystals using the methodologies mentioned. A principal components analysis was performed in order to examine the correlation between these parameters. Instrument accuracy was also assessed. The Spearman's statistic (p) showed an adequate agreement between methods for RBC (iQ200=0.473; UF-100=0.439; Atlas=0.525; Urisys=0.539), WBC (iQ200=0.695; UF-100=0.761; Atlas=0.684: Urisys=0.620), and bacteria/nitrites (iQ200=0.538; UF-100=0.647; Atlas=0.532; Urisys=0.561) counts. By applying the Wilcoxon and McNemar tests, a concordance degree was found between 82-99 and 52-95% for the values obtained from the two test strips analyzers considered and from the iQ200 and UF-100 systems, respectively. From these results, we can conclude that both test strips analyzers are similar and, on the other hand, that automated urinalysis is needed to improve precision and the response time; but sometimes manual microscopic revisions are required, mainly when flags, because of crystals, are detected.
The capability of biopartitioning Micellar Chromatography, BMC, to describe and estimate pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters of central nervous system drugs is reviewed in this article. BMC is a mode of micellar liquid chromatography, MLC, that uses micellar mobile phases of Brij35 (polyoxyethilene(23) lauryl ether) prepared in physiological conditions (pH, ionic strength). The retention of a drug in this system depends on its hydrophobic, electronic and steric properties, which also determine its biological activity. The results of BMC studies suggest that this in vitro approach is an attractive useful tool to be implemented into the lead optimization step of drug development scheme.
The distribution of tricyclic antidepressants from plasma to brain, where these drugs exert their main clinical action, and other organs is related to transport events across the cell membranes of the different tissues. It could be expected that all the molecular features that condition the transport processes (mainly hydrophobicity and molar total charge) also control the pharmacokinetic and biochemical behavior. Micellar liquid chromatography (MLC) has been proposed to emulate in vitro the partitioning process in the biomembranes. The use of micellar solutions of Brij35 as mobile phases in reversed-phase liquid chromatography has proven to be valid to predict the biological activities of local anesthetics, barbiturates, catecholamines, and benzodiazepines. In this paper, the relationships between the capacity factor in MLC and some pharmacokinetic parameters and biological responses of tricyclic antidepressants are studied. Predictive regression models for the estimation of these parameter values, using the logarithm of the retention data (log k) as independent variable, are also proposed.
The LD50 determination is the main way to measure the acute toxicity of all types of substances. At the present time, however, there is increasing opposition to the use of living animals in research and testing activities from animal rights groups as well as some scientists. Nevertheless, the need to have a tool for estimating the potential toxicity of new compounds for human consumption has encouraged the development of alternative methods. Under adequate conditions, the partitioning in micellar liquid chromatography can describe the drug biopartitioning. We have named this chromatographic system biopartitioning micellar chromatography (BMC). In this paper, an LD50 QRAR model developed for psychotropic drugs from their retention data in BMC, is described. The model's ability to predict new psychotropic drug toxicity is statistically proved.
Background: To evaluate the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on glycaemic control and diabetes follow-up in a Spanish metropolitan area with a total general population of 340,000. Methods: A retrospective real-world study comparing HbA1c testing, an indicator of diabetes control, and mean HbA1c during different COVID-19 restriction periods in 2020 (full lockdown, post-lockdown, partial lockdown) with the same periods in 2019. HbA1c testing was analysed per study period and according to gender, age and clinical setting. Associations between HbA1c testing and different covariables were investigated using logistic regression analysis. Changes in HbA1c were evaluated by repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (ANOVA).Results: During full lockdown, 6847 individuals, of which 56.7% were over 65 and 6.5% below 40, were tested for HbA1c compared to 14,180 in 2019 (OR 0.47, 95% CI:0.46-0.49). Reduction in HbA1c testing was greater among older individuals (OR 0.44, 95% CI:0.42-0.45). No differences were observed for postlockdown (OR 1.01, 95% CI:0.99-1.04). During partial lockdown, 10,816 individuals had at least one HbA1c measured compared to 12,749 in 2019 (OR 0.84, 95% CI:0.82-0.87). Mean HbA1c during full lockdown was 7.26% (±1.06) compared to 7.50% (±1.14) in 2019 (p < .0001). For gender and across all age groups, HbA1c levels were lower during full lockdown. HbA1c changes were not significantly different during post-lockdown and partial lockdown. Conclusions: COVID-19 restriction measures affected HbA1c testing. During complete lockdown, HbA1c testing decreased by half across all gender and age groups. No deleterious effect on glycaemic control was observed during lockdown and post-lockdown among those tested.
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