BackgroundHemolysis, icterus, and lipemia (HIL) cause preanalytical interference and vary unpredictably with different analytical equipments and measurement methods. We developed an integrated reporting system for verifying HIL status in order to identify the extent of interference by HIL on clinical chemistry results.MethodsHIL interference data from 30 chemical analytes were provided by the manufacturers and were used to generate a table of clinically relevant interference values that indicated the extent of bias at specific index values (alert index values). The HIL results generated by the Vista 1500 system (Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, USA), Advia 2400 system (Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics), and Modular DPE system (Roche Diagnostics, Switzerland) were analyzed and displayed on physicians' personal computers.ResultsAnalytes 11 and 29 among the 30 chemical analytes were affected by interference due to hemolysis, when measured using the Vista and Modular systems, respectively. The hemolysis alert indices for the Vista and Modular systems were 0.1-25.8% and 0.1-64.7%, respectively. The alert indices for icterus and lipemia were <1.4% and 0.7% in the Vista system and 0.7% and 1.0% in the Modular system, respectively.ConclusionsThe HIL alert index values for chemical analytes varied depending on the chemistry analyzer. This integrated HIL reporting system provides an effective screening tool for verifying specimen quality with regard to HIL and simplifies the laboratory workflow.

Propolis (PP) is a sticky substance that is collected from plants by honeybees. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of PP on hepatotoxicity induced by acetaminophen (AA, paracetamol) and the mechanism of its hepatoprotective effect. In rat hepatocyte culture, pretreatment with PP (1, 10, 100, 200 and 400 microg/mL, 24 h) significantly decreased the cytotoxicity of AA (0.5 mm) in a dose-dependent manner. In mice, pretreatment with PP (10 and 25 mg/kg, p.o., 7 days) also decreased the mortality and the incidence and severity of hepatic necrosis induced by AA (400 mg/kg, i.p.). After treatment with PP for 7 days, the hepatic enzyme activities of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s), UDP-glucuronyltransferase, phenolsulphotransferase (PST), glutathione S-transferase (GST) were measured in both rats and mice. In rats, PP (50 and 100 mg/kg, p.o.) decreased the activity of P4502E1, but significantly increased the activities of GST and PST. On the other hand, in mice treated with PP (10 and 25 mg/kg, p.o.), the activities of P4501A2, 2B1, 3A4 and 2E1 were dramatically inhibited, and the activity of PST was significantly enhanced. These results suggest that PP has a protective effect on hepatic injury, and that its effect may be explained by inhibition of phase I enzymes and induction of phase II enzymes.

BackgroundThe identification of in vitro hemolysis (IVH) using a hematology analyzer is challenging because centrifugation of the specimens cannot be performed for cell counts. In the present study, we aimed to develop a scoring system to help identify the presence of hemolysis in anticoagulated blood specimens.MethodsThirty-seven potassium EDTA anticoagulated blood specimens were obtained, and each specimen was divided into 3 aliquots (A, B, and C). Aliquots B and C were mechanically hemolyzed by aspirating 2 and 5 times, respectively, using a 27-gauge needle and then tested; aliquot A was analyzed immediately without any hemolysis. After the cells were counted, aliquots B and C were centrifuged and the supernatants were tested for the hemolytic index and lactate dehydrogenase levels.ResultsThe 4 hematologic parameters were selected and scored from 0 to 3 as follows:< 34.0, 34.0-36.2, 36.3-38.4, and ≥38.5 for mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC, g/dL); <0.02, 0.02, 0.03, and ≥0.04 for red blood cell ghosts (1012/L); <0.13, 0.13-0.38, 0.39-1.30, and ≥1.31 for difference value (g/dL) of measured hemoglobin and calculated hemoglobin; and <0.26, 0.26-0.95, 0.96-3.34, and ≥3.35 for difference value (g/dL) of MCHC and cell hemoglobin concentration mean. The hemolysis score was calculated by adding all the scores from the 4 parameters. At the cutoff hemolysis score of 3, the IVH of aliquots B and C were detected as 64.9% and 91.9%, respectively.ConclusionsThe scoring system might provide effective screening for detecting spurious IVH.

-This study is a basic study on the development of functional substances involved in obesity prevention, lipid metabolism, and immune regulation. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a high-fat diet for 10 weeks. Allium monanthum extracts (AME) were administered orally to obesity-induced rats, and their lipid-lowering, antioxidative and various types of biological effects related to the immune system were examined. Blood free fatty acid and triglyceride concentrations decreased as the dose of AME increased. Total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol concentrations in the blood decreased as the dose of AME increased. The total cholesterol concentrations in the liver of the AME-treated groups were lower than the control group. The thiobarbituric acid reactive concentrations were lower in the plasma and liver of all AME-treated groups than the control group. Plasma AST and ALT activities did not show any significant differences among the treatment groups. IL-1β and IL-6 concentrations in the liver tended to decrease as the dose of AME increased. TNF-α and IL-10 concentrations did now show any significant differences compared to the control group. Lower expression levels of TNF-α, Apo-B and Apo-E genes were found in the AME-treated groups. Taken together, these results indicate that AME may show positive effects in lipid lowering, antioxidation and anti-inflammation.

No abstract