1
|
Truong J, Naveed K, Beriault D, Lightfoot D, Fralick M, Sholzberg M. The origin of ferritin reference intervals: a systematic review. Lancet Haematol 2024; 11:e530-e539. [PMID: 38937026 DOI: 10.1016/s2352-3026(24)00103-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Iron deficiency is a highly prevalent condition, which contributes to unnecessary morbidity, mortality, and health inequity. A serum ferritin concentration of less than 30 μg/L has a high specificity and sensitivity for diagnosing iron deficiency in adults, but the laboratory reported lower limit of normal (LLN) is typically lower. These LLNs might not be rooted in rigorous scientific evidence and might be contributing to structural underdiagnosis of iron deficiency. A systematic review was done per systematic reviews and meta-analysis guidelines with the use of medical literature databases from inception of each database to Nov 30, 2021, to identify studies that determined ferritin reference intervals in healthy adults and grey literature search for the five most common ferritin assays (registration number CRD42022268844). The objectives were to systematically summarise the ferritin reference intervals and to do a methodological quality assessment of the included studies. 2306 studies were screened and 61 full texts were included. 37 studies were eligible for analysis of the ferritin LLN in the general population. The population the sample was comprised of was a total of 21 882 females and 23 650 males participants. The ferritin LLN was a median of 8 μg/L (IQR 5-15) and mean of 9 μg/L (SD 11) in females and a median of 25 μg/L (IQR 16-44) and mean of 25 μg/L (SD 29) in males. 30 (49%) of 61 studies did not explicitly screen for patients at risk of iron deficiency, and 32 (52%) did not refer to a reference interval establishment guideline (eg, guideline recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute). The five most used commercial ferritin laboratory assays reported reference intervals with a median LLN of 11 (IQR 9-12) and mean of 9 μg/L (SD 4) for females and median of 22 (IQR 22-24) and mean of 23 μg/L (SD 4) for males. In the literature, serum ferritin reference intervals in healthy adults consistently report a LLN of less than 30 μg/L. Data driving these ferritin reference intervals are at high risk of bias, given no exclusion of individuals at risk for iron deficiency in the presumed normal population sample and no adherence to reference interval establishment standards. We suggest the use of evidence-based laboratory clinical decision limits to diagnose iron deficiency.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Judy Truong
- Department of Medicine Canada, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Kanza Naveed
- Department of Medicine Canada, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daniel Beriault
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Michael Fralick
- Sinai Health System, Division of General Internal Medicine, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michelle Sholzberg
- Department of Medicine Canada, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada; St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada; Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St Michael's Hospital, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
D'Aurizio F, Kratzsch J, Gruson D, Petranović Ovčariček P, Giovanella L. Free thyroxine measurement in clinical practice: how to optimize indications, analytical procedures, and interpretation criteria while waiting for global standardization. Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci 2023; 60:101-140. [PMID: 36227760 DOI: 10.1080/10408363.2022.2121960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Thyroid dysfunctions are among the most common endocrine disorders and accurate biochemical testing is needed to confirm or rule out a diagnosis. Notably, true hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism in the setting of a normal thyroid-stimulating hormone level are highly unlikely, making the assessment of free thyroxine (FT4) inappropriate in most new cases. However, FT4 measurement is integral in both the diagnosis and management of relevant central dysfunctions (central hypothyroidism and central hyperthyroidism) as well as for monitoring therapy in hyperthyroid patients treated with anti-thyroid drugs or radioiodine. In such settings, accurate FT4 quantification is required. Global standardization will improve the comparability of the results across laboratories and allow the development of common clinical decision limits in evidence-based guidelines. The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine Committee for Standardization of Thyroid Function Tests has undertaken FT4 immunoassay method comparison and recalibration studies and developed a reference measurement procedure that is currently being validated. However, technical and implementation challenges, including the establishment of different clinical decision limits for distinct patient groups, still remain. Accordingly, different assays and reference values cannot be interchanged. Two-way communication between the laboratory and clinical specialists is pivotal to properly select a reliable FT4 assay, establish reference intervals, investigate discordant results, and monitor the analytical and clinical performance of the method over time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Federica D'Aurizio
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Jürgen Kratzsch
- Institute for Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, University Hospital, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Damien Gruson
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Cliniques Universitaires St-Luc and Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Petra Petranović Ovčariček
- Department of Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Center Sestre milosrdnice, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Luca Giovanella
- Clinic for Nuclear Medicine and Competence Center for Thyroid Diseases, Imaging Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Bellinzona, Switzerland.,Clinic for Nuclear Medicine and Thyroid Center, University and University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kratzsch J, Baumann NA, Ceriotti F, Lu ZX, Schott M, van Herwaarden AE, Henriques Vieira JG, Lehmann H, Kasapic D, Giovanella L. The new Roche Elecsys TSH assay conforms with current IFCC C-STFT standards. Clin Chem Lab Med 2021; 59:e445-e448. [PMID: 34252995 DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2021-0352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Juergen Kratzsch
- Institute for Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, University Hospital, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nikola A Baumann
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Ferruccio Ceriotti
- Clinical Laboratory, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Zhong X Lu
- Department of Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Matthias Schott
- Division for Specific Endocrinology, Medical Faculty, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | - Luca Giovanella
- Clinic for Nuclear Medicine and Competence Centre for Thyroid Diseases, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Bellinzona, Switzerland.,Clinic for Nuclear Medicine and Thyroid Centre, University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Kratzsch J, Baumann NA, Ceriotti F, Lu ZX, Schott M, van Herwaarden AE, Henriques Vieira JG, Kasapic D, Giovanella L. Global FT4 immunoassay standardization: an expert opinion review. Clin Chem Lab Med 2020; 59:1013-1023. [PMID: 33554525 DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2020-1696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Results can vary between different free thyroxine (FT4) assays; global standardization would improve comparability of results between laboratories, allowing development of common clinical decision limits in evidence-based guidelines. CONTENT We summarize the path to standardization of FT4 assays, and challenges associated with FT4 testing in special populations, including the need for collaborative efforts toward establishing population-specific reference intervals. The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine Committee for Standardization of Thyroid Function Tests has undertaken FT4 immunoassay method comparison and recalibration studies and developed a reference measurement procedure that is currently being validated. Further studies are needed to establish common reference intervals/clinical decision limits. Standardization of FT4 assays will change test results substantially; therefore, a major education program will be required to ensure stakeholders are aware of the benefits of FT4 standardization, planned transition procedure, and potential clinical impact of the changes. Assay recalibration by manufacturers and approval process simplification by regulatory authorities will help minimize the clinical impact of standardization. SUMMARY Significant progress has been made toward standardization of FT4 testing, but technical and logistical challenges remain. OUTLOOK Collaborative efforts by manufacturers, laboratories, and clinicians are required to achieve successful global standardization of the FT4 assays.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juergen Kratzsch
- Institute for Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, University Hospital, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nikola A Baumann
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Ferruccio Ceriotti
- Clinical Laboratory, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Zhong X Lu
- Department of Medicine, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Matthias Schott
- Division for Specific Endocrinology, Medical Faculty, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Luca Giovanella
- Clinic for Nuclear Medicine and Competence Centre for Thyroid Diseases, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Bellinzona, Switzerland
- University Hospital and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Young DS, Mathew T. Nonparametric hyperrectangular tolerance and prediction regions for setting multivariate reference regions in laboratory medicine. Stat Methods Med Res 2020; 29:3569-3585. [PMID: 32594837 DOI: 10.1177/0962280220933910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Reference regions are widely used in clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine to interpret the results of biochemical or physiological tests of patients. There are well-established methods in the literature for reference limits for univariate measurements; however, limited methods are available for the construction of multivariate reference regions, since traditional multivariate statistical regions (e.g. confidence, prediction, and tolerance regions) are not constructed based on a hyperrectangular geometry. The present work addresses this problem by developing multivariate hyperrectangular nonparametric tolerance regions for setting the reference regions. The approach utilizes statistical data depth to determine which points to trim and then the extremes of the trimmed dataset are used as the faces of the hyperrectangular region. Also presented is a strategy for determining the number of points to trim based on previously established asymptotic results. An extensive coverage study shows the favorable performance of the proposed procedure for moderate to large sample sizes. The procedure is applied to obtain reference regions for addressing two important clinical problems: (1) assessing kidney function in adolescents and (2) characterizing insulin-like growth factor concentrations in the serum of adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Derek S Young
- Department of Statistics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Thomas Mathew
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Affiliation(s)
- Duncan J Topliss
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, The Alfred; and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Alonso N, Larraz-Prieto B, Berg K, Lambert Z, Redmond P, Harris SE, Deary IJ, Pugh C, Prendergast J, Ralston SH. Loss-of-Function Mutations in the ALPL Gene Presenting with Adult Onset Osteoporosis and Low Serum Concentrations of Total Alkaline Phosphatase. J Bone Miner Res 2020; 35:657-661. [PMID: 31793067 PMCID: PMC9328664 DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.3928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is a rare inherited disorder characterized by rickets and low circulating concentrations of total alkaline phosphatase (ALP) caused by mutations in ALPL. Severe HPP presents in childhood but milder forms can present in adulthood. The prevalence and clinical features of adult HPP are poorly defined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and clinical significance of low serum total alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels in a clinic-based population of adult osteoporotic patients. We searched for patients with low ALP in a cohort of 3285 patients referred to an osteoporosis clinic over a 10-year period and performed mutation screening of ALPL in those with low ALP (≤40 U/L) on two or more occasions. These individuals were matched with four clinic controls with a normal ALP. We also evaluated the prevalence of low ALP and ALPL mutations in 639 individuals from the general population from the same region. We identified 16/3285 (0.49%) clinic patients with low ALP and 14 (87.5%) had potentially pathogenic variants in ALPL. Eight of these individuals were heterozygous for mutations previously described in HPP and 2 were heterozygous for novel mutations (p.Arg301Trp and p.Tyr101X). These mutations were not found in clinic controls or in the general population. Eight patients with low ALP, including 4 with ALPL mutations, were treated with bisphosphonates for an average of 6.5 years. In these individuals, the rate of fractures during treatment was comparable to that in normal ALP clinic controls who were treated with bisphosphonates. We conclude that heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in ALPL are common in osteoporosis patients with low ALP. Further studies are required to determine how best these individuals should be treated. © 2019 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nerea Alonso
- Rheumatology and Bone Disease Unit, Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, MRC institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Beatriz Larraz-Prieto
- Rheumatology and Bone Disease Unit, Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, MRC institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kathryn Berg
- Rheumatology and Bone Disease Unit, Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, MRC institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Zoe Lambert
- Rheumatology and Bone Disease Unit, Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, MRC institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Paul Redmond
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sarah E Harris
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Carys Pugh
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - James Prendergast
- Genetics and Genomics Division, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
| | - Stuart H Ralston
- Rheumatology and Bone Disease Unit, Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, MRC institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Kazanasmaz H, Gumus H. Is it possible to differentiate pathogen in neonatal sepsis with thrombocytopenia and high C-reactive protein values? GAZZETTA MEDICA ITALIANA ARCHIVIO PER LE SCIENZE MEDICHE 2019. [DOI: 10.23736/s0393-3660.18.03880-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
|
9
|
Metabolic modulation predicts heart failure tests performance. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0218153. [PMID: 31220103 PMCID: PMC6586291 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The metabolic changes that accompany changes in Cardiopulmonary testing (CPET) and heart failure biomarkers (HFbio) are not well known. We undertook metabolomic and lipidomic phenotyping of a cohort of heart failure (HF) patients and utilized Multiple Regression Analysis (MRA) to identify associations to CPET and HFBio test performance (peak oxygen consumption (Peak VO2), oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES), exercise duration, and minute ventilation-carbon dioxide production slope (VE/VCO2 slope), as well as the established HF biomarkers of inflammation C-reactive protein (CRP), beta-galactoside-binding protein (galectin-3), and N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)). A cohort of 49 patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction < 50%, predominantly males African American, presenting a high frequency of diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension were used in the study. MRA revealed that metabolic models for VE/VCO2 and Peak VO2 were the most fitted models, and the highest predictors’ coefficients were from Acylcarnitine C18:2, palmitic acid, citric acid, asparagine, and 3-hydroxybutiric acid. Metabolic Pathway Analysis (MetPA) used predictors to identify the most relevant metabolic pathways associated to the study, aminoacyl-tRNA and amino acid biosynthesis, amino acid metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis, sphingolipid and glycerolipid metabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, and pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). Metabolite Set Enrichment Analysis (MSEA) found associations of our findings with pre-existing biological knowledge from studies of human plasma metabolism as brain dysfunction and enzyme deficiencies associated with lactic acidosis. Our results indicate a profile of oxidative stress, lactic acidosis, and metabolic syndrome coupled with mitochondria dysfunction in patients with HF tests poor performance. The insights resulting from this study coincides with what has previously been discussed in existing literature thereby supporting the validity of our findings while at the same time characterizing the metabolic underpinning of CPET and HFBio.
Collapse
|