FEATURE ARTICLES

Quantitative faecal immunochemical testing looks set to reassure patients and clinicians concerned about colorectal cancer. Reducing referrals, colonoscopy investigations and overall waiting times, FIT enables GPs to manage patients confidently in primary care.

With the increasing trend towards centralisation of pathology services, it is important to consider carefully the type of swab and transport medium used when there is the potential for significant delay to sample processing.

The autoimmune coeliac disease results from ingestion of gluten in genetically predisposed individuals. The inflammatory damage caused to the mucosal lining of the small intestine gives rise to malabsorption and associated nutrient deficiency, and has been linked to a wide range of other medical conditions.

Interference due to haemolysis, icterus and lipaemia is a significant issue in automated coagulation testing, but technology from Stago now provides confidence in laboratory results in such cases.

Femi Saleh and colleagues assess the value of a new chemiluminescence method to detect antibodies to human tissue transglutaminase in coeliac disease.

Capillary electrophoresis is an analytical technique that separates ions based on their electrophoretic mobility and has found laboratory application in the assessment of a number of clinical conditions, as Jean Deenmamode explains.

Mark Reed and Charlotte Duncan from Pro-Lab offer a brief insight into the changing world of laboratory testing, and focus on current antibiotic sensitivity testing.

Guy Orchards reports on preliminary work to assess the benefits of the latest equipment designed to facilitate frozen section preparation and staining in a laboratory supporting a Mohs micrographic surgery service.

The success enjoyed by the biennial Microbe conferences spans almost three decades, and the 14th event returns to Sheffield later in September. Alan Pease reports.

Jason Cunningham looks at the connection between allergy and asthma, and the benefits provided by the allergy identification and management (AIM) initiative.

The latest automated testing system and sample collection device makes faecal sampling easy and convenient for patients, provides timely diagnosis of significant bowel disease, and ensures consistency for the laboratory.

Major investment by Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust is set to bring benefits to more than a million patients it treats every year.

Elite specialist haemostasis unit in the NHS partners with Stago UK to improve patient outcomes through innovation, workflow efficiency and confidence in results reporting.

A recent case study, poster and paper provide compelling evidence to support the efficacy of the latest diagnostic system and assays from Beckman Coulter Diagnostics. The following trio of reports from across Europe provides independent support for the value of Beckman Coulter’s DxN VERIS Molecular Diagnostics System and assays in routine virological practice.

Laboratory professionals must be given detailed clinical information to make decisions on the most effective testing for patients, writes Martin Wilkinson, as we can no longer afford for laboratories to be confined to the back office.

In the run up to publication of the latest European guidance on testing for Clostridium difficile infection, this article provides an overview of the current situation.

Nephron www.commons.wkikmedia.org CC BY-SA 3.0.jpg

Caroline Glennie and colleagues at Manchester Royal Infirmary have been using the MacroPATH Pro-X system from Menarini since January. Here, they report on a revolution in histopathology dissection.

A combination of three laboratory tests can help to identify rheumatoid arthritis patients sooner and enable clinicians to start tailored treatment promptly, as Jason Cunningham explains.

KGH www.commons.wkikmedia.org CC BY-SA 3.0.jpg

The addition of two new ergonomic anaerobic jars to the Anoxomat range promises to maximise the use of space both in the laboratory and within incubators. Jim Smith explains.

Biochemical features of selenium have emerged only in recent years, and investigations into selenoproteome gene expression and the selenocysteine synthetic pathway have provided evidence that underpins its biochemical roles in health and disease.

National Cancer Institute/Purdue University Center for Cancer Research; Ji-Xin Cheng.jpg