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WORLD’S CLINICAL LABORATORY NEWS LEADER ISSN 1068-1760
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Vol. 38 No.2 • 4/2021
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Five Genes Help Predict Lewy Body Dementia
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ewy body dementia usually affects people over 65 years old. Early signs of the disease include hallucinations, mood swings, and problems with thinking, movements, and sleep. Patients who initially have cognitive and behavioral problems
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Whole-Genome Sequencing Aids Rare Disease Diagnosis
iagnostics of genetic diseases are currently being revolutionized, due to breakthroughs in sequencing technology and data analysis. The potential to transform clinical medicine using genomics is high, especially within the realm of rare diseases.
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Rare diseases constitute a large and heterogeneous group of diagnoses that includes more than 8,000 distinct conditions of which the vast majority have a genetic basis. Each individual disease is rare, but when considered as a group, rare diseases are Cont’d on page 4
Scientists Identify Early Markers of COVID -19 Severity
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Cardiac Troponins Assessed for Acute Heart Failure
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DiaSorin to Acquire Luminex for $1.8 Billion, Expanding Molecular Diagnostics Footprint
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Noninvasive Skin Test Detects Parkinson’s
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team of British investigators has developed a rapid, non-invasive method for identifying Parkinson’s disease based on compounds found on the surface of skin. The test developed by investigators at the University of Manchester (United Kingdom; www.manchester.ac.uk) was the product of previously published studies showing that volatile
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eart failure (HF) is a clinical syndrome characterized by dyspnea, peripheral edema and fatigue. Diagnosing HF can be difficult due to overlapping symptoms with other conditions, and the phenotype of HF varies due to a broad spectrum of un
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Blood Biomarker for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Image: Neutrophils are part of a group of white blood cells called granulocytes and account for 55-70% of circulating white blood cells.
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he central role for neutrophil activation in the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19, may lead to the development of more accurate predictive markers of severe disease as well as new therapeutic pathways. LabMedica’s COVID-19 Diagnostics Update section starts on page 5.
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n a move expected to broaden its position in the fast-growing molecular diagnostics area and strengthen its existing offerings, DiaSorin S.p.A. (Saluggia, Italy; www. diasorin.com) has signed a definitive merger agreement to acquire
Luminex Corporation (Austin, TX, USA; www.luminex.com) for approximately USD 1.8 billion. Luminex is a leader in multiplexing technology, one of the fastest growing segments in molecular diagnostics, with more than 900 Cont’d on page 18
utism spectrum disorder (ASD), a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder, is characterized by deficits in social communication and social interaction, with restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. ASD impacts at least one out of every 59 children in the USA, although this is likely an underestimation. Many blood-based biomarker Cont’d on page 12
INSIDE
COVID-19 Update. . . . . 5 Clinical News. . . . . . 4-26 IFCC News. . . . . . . . . . 25 Product News . . . . . 6-28 Industry News . . . . . . . 29 Events Calendar . . 30-31
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