As serous body fluids will be more analyzed on automated analyzers in the future, HFC count can be a useful tool to select samples for microscopic review. Microscopic evaluation should be performed if HFC values are above a certain threshold (e.g. ≥17 HFC/μL) or in case of clinical suspicion of malignancy.

The peptide hormones inhibin and antimüllerian hormone (AMH), both produced by the granulosa cells, are potential candidates for diagnosis and follow-up of granulosa cell tumors (GCTs). The objective was to evaluate the usefulness of serum levels of inhibin B and AMH in the diagnosis and follow-up of GCT. The review summarizes and discusses the value and limitations of the laboratory tests of these hormones by investigating the performance characteristics of the serum analyses. A search in PubMed database was accomplished to find articles describing serum inhibin and/or AMH as a diagnostic test or for follow-up of GCT. The literature search included articles published between 1989 and September 2008. The sensitivity of inhibin B and AMH for diagnosing patients with a progressive disease is rather equivalent. Antimüllerian hormone is a more specific serum parameter than inhibin, because inhibin may also increase in some (mucinous) epithelial ovarian tumors. Nowadays, specific and ultrasensitive assays are commercially available as well for inhibin B as for AMH, so that early detection of GCT might be possible. For patients with elevated levels of inhibin B and/or AMH at initial diagnosis of GCT, inhibin B and/or AMH seemed to be reliable markers during follow-up for early detection of residual or recurrent disease. Elevated concentrations of these hormones predict relapse earlier than clinical symptoms, which leads to less morbidity of the patients. In conclusion, inhibin B and AMH are both useful serum markers for diagnosis and especially for follow-up of patients with a GCT. Currently, there is no evidence-based preference for inhibin B or AMH as tumor marker.

Introduction. Anemia is a frequent problem in hospitalized geriatric patients, and the anemia of chronic disease (ACD) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) are the 2 most prevalent causes. The aim of the study was to assess the possible role of serum hepcidin in the differential diagnosis between ACD and IDA. Methods. We investigated serum hepcidin, iron status, anemia, and C-reactive protein in 39 consecutive geriatric patients with ACD and IDA. Serum hepcidin levels were determined using a commercial ELISA kit (DRG Instruments, Marburg, Germany). We also measured hepcidin in 26 healthy controls. Results. The serum hepcidin levels were not significantly higher in the 28 patients with ACD as compared to the 11 patients with IDA. Conclusions. The serum hepcidin levels measured using the commercial ELISA kit (DRG) do not appear to increase in older patients with ACD. It should be noted that an assay-specific problem could explain our results.

1 In humans intimal thickening is a prerequisite of atherosclerosis. Application of a silicone collar around the rabbit carotid artery induces an intimal thickening but in addition it increases the sensitivity to the vasoconstrictor action of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT). The 5-HT receptors involved in collar-induced hypersensitivity to 5-HT were investigated using several agonists and antagonists. 2 One week after placement of collars around both carotid arteries of anaesthetized rabbits, rings (2 mm width) from inside (=collar) and outside (=sham) the collars were mounted in organ baths (10 ml) for isometric force measurements at 6 g loading tension.3 Collared rings were more sensitive to the contractile e ect of 5-HT (7.6 fold) and 5-carboxamidotryptamine (31 fold, 5-CT, 5-HT 1 agonist) in cumulative concentration response curves. Sumatriptan (5-HT 1B/1D agonist) caused concentration-dependent constrictions in collared rings only. 5 In contrast, the apparent pK b value of methiothepin (5-HT 1B antagonist) was signi®cantly reduced by collar placement, and its antagonism shifted from non-surmountable in sham rings to surmountable in collared segments. 6 Taken together, this study demonstrates that the serotonergic receptor involved in the hypersensitivity to 5-HT of rabbit collared carotid artery is a 5-HT 1B receptor subtype.

• The diagnostic value of the triad umbilical cord blood bilirubin measurement, direct antiglobulin testing and blood group analysis for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia remains unclear in literature. • Currently no guideline recommends screening for hyperbilirubinemia using umbilical cord blood. What is New: • Post-test probability for hyperbilirubinemia correlated exponentially with umbilical cord blood bilirubin in different risk groups defined by direct antiglobulin test and ABO blood group compatibility results. • Exponential functions can be used to calculate hyperbilirubinemia probability.