The serum creatinine CV obtained by EuBIVAS specifies a more stringent CV than previously identified. The alkaline picrate method failed to meet this CV, raising questions regarding its future use.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the major cause of cancer-related death among the male population of Western society, and androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) represents the first line in PCa treatment. However, although androgen receptor (AR) expression is maintained throughout the various stages of PCa, ADT frequently fails. Clinical studies have demonstrated that different androgen/AR signaling pathways operate in target tissues. AR stimulates growth and transformation of target cells, but under certain conditions slows down their proliferation. In this review, we discuss the role of AR in controlling different functions of mesenchymal and transformed mesenchymal cells. Findings here presented support the role of AR in suppressing proliferation and stimulating migration of stromal cells, with implications for current approaches to cancer therapy.

All CV and some CV estimates were lower than those reported in the online BV 2014 updated database. Analytical performance specifications derived from BV can be applied internationally.

Caring for a child with an acute/life threatening disease exposes parents to multiple stressors and challenges, resulting in a physical and psychological burden. Parents experience many health-related issues and worries that often remain underestimated. The aims of the study were: (a) to explore the associations between needs/disease-related issues and burden in parents of children with leukemia or Hodgkin’s disease; (b) to estimate predictors of parents’ burden using a stepwise linear regression analysis. Children (N = 33) followed an active therapy protocol (48.5%), or they were off therapy (51.5%). Forty-four parents completed surveys on caregiver burden levels and needs to cope with the child’s illness. Parental factors impacting burden (personal resources, loss of control, depression) and child’s quality of life (QoL) were also assessed. Among the needs, information about the illness/resources were the most urgently expressed by parents, followed by reassurance against fears for the child’s development and future well-being. Parents reported severe (27.3%) and moderate (22.7%) burden, with a higher percentage of caregivers with severe burden in the off-therapy phase (18.2%) than in the active-therapy phase (9.1%). The child’s decreased physical QoL and parent’s loss of control predicted higher levels of burden. The implications for supportive interventions aimed at responding to parental needs and preventing caregiver burden are discussed.

Background: Procalcitonin (PCT) is a recognized marker of sepsis, and its use is expanding to antibiotic stewardship. The aim of this study was the evaluation of two methods: Diazyme PCT on Roche Cobas c702 (PCT-D) and BRAHMS PCT on Roche Cobas e602 analyzers (PCT-BR) in comparison with BRAHMS PCT-sensitive Kryptor (PCT-BK). Methods: Imprecision was assessed at six critical concentrations following the CLSI EP5-A3; limits of detection (LoDs) were checked according to CLSI EP17-A2; linearity was tested, and method comparison was performed on 239 serum samples.