Both leading molecular thyroid tests may reduce the need for diagnostic surgery

Molecular Diagnostic Tests for Microsporidia

The Microsporidia are a ubiquitous group of eukaryotic obligate intracellular parasites which were recognized over 100 years ago with the description of Nosema bombycis, a parasite of silkworms. It is now appreciated that these organisms are related to the Fungi. Microsporidia infect all major animal groups most often as gastrointestinal pathogens; however they have been reported from every tis...

Low-Dose Sevoflurane May Reduce Blood Loss and Need for Blood Products After Cardiac Surgery

Patients undergoing cardiac surgery often experience abnormal bleeding, due primarily to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB)-induced activation of platelets. Sevoflurane may inhibit platelet activation, raising the possibility that administering it during CPB may reduce blood loss.Patients between 18 and 65 years old who were scheduled for cardiac surgery under CPB at our hospital were prospectively e...

Assessing the Validity of Diagnostic Tests

Molecular diagnosis of tuberculosis: the need for new diagnostic tools.

Diagnostic tests for thyroid antibodies: a comparison of the precipitin and latex-fixation (Hyland TAI) tests.

The clinical significance of thyroid antibodies is discussed and it is concluded that, of the antibody tests which have been extensively applied, the precipitin test is the most useful for diagnostic purposes. The recently introduced Hyland TA test is compared with the precipitin test. The TA test gives a rapid result and is slightly more sensitive, but it remains undecided whether a true posit...