Lupus anticoagulant is the most common cause of acquired thrombophilia. The incidence of lupus anticoagulant in the general population is 1% to 2%. Chronic lupus anticoagulant is associated with a 30% risk of venous thromboembolic disease or arterial thrombosis, including stroke and myocardial infarction, as well as with chronic spontaneous abortion. For use in the platelet neutralisation procedure (PNP), Lupus Anticoagulant Confirmation Reagent (LA-CR) is used to determine if the prolongation of an activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) is due to the presence of lupus anticoagulant. The reagent is a lyophilised preparation of phosphatidyl enhanced platelet phospholipid, the addition of which will shorten the APTT time in the presence of the lupus anticoagulant. Thus, the platelet neutralisation procedure is a valuable diagnostic test to confirm lupus anticoagulant.
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Hospitals and clinical laboratories with high sample volumes will benefit the most from the fast speed of the chemistry system. The BS-2000 modular system features a high throughput range from 2,000 photometric tests per hour for a single module to up to 4,400 tests per hour for dual modules with electrolyte tests. A minimum reaction volume of just 80μL reduces the cost per test, and its intuitive software makes operating the system easy and convenient. Clot detection, crash protection and bubble detection ensure more accurate measurement for all the specimens. A line of original reagents, calibrators with metrological traceability and controls complete the package, which offers customers a versatile solution with high efficiency, automation and scalability. This model will integrate easily with future products from this company.
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It is often a challenge to identify Salmonella species in samples heavily contaminated with competing microbiological flora, so Lab M has added new Xylose Lysine Tergitol-4 (XLT4) agar to its extensive range of products for Salmonella isolation and identification. XLT4 is a highly selective and very cost-effective medium for the specific detection and enhanced recovery of non-typhi Salmonella species from clinical (and other) samples. It enables labs to rapidly determine whether or not these pathogenic organisms are present, for effective monitoring even when faced with difficult materials.
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A portfolio of avidity tests allows the discrimination of acute from past infections via the determination of the avidity of specific IgG antibodies. This is particularly relevant in pregnancy diagnostics, where an acute infection may pose a risk to the foetus. The avidity product range includes ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence tests (IIFT) for Toxoplasma gondii, rubella virus, Epstein-Barr virus, West Nile virus, cytomegalovirus, varicella zoster virus, measles virus and TBE virus infection status. All assays incorporate an incubation step with a urea solution, which destroys the weak bonds between low-avidity antibodies and the antigenic target, while leaving the stable bonds formed by high-avidity antibodies intact. Bound antibodies are then detected according to the usual ELISA or IIFT procedure. The detection of high-avidity antibodies is a reliable indication that an infection took place some time ago, whereas low-avidity antibodies indicate an acute infection. Avidity determination supplements the investigation of IgM antibodies, which is traditionally used to identify acute infections, but which has several limitations: IgM may be only transient or may not be reliably detected in an acute infection, or IgM may persist for months or years after recovery, making interpretation difficult. In these instances, avidity testing can clarify the diagnosis without the need to take a second sample from the patient.
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West Nile virus (WNV) is becoming widespread: it has been detected in over half of the 50 states of the USA and exposure to it causes a disease with a number of symptoms including encephalitis. The West Nile Detect IgG Test aids the diagnosis of human exposure to the West Nile virus by an ELISA assay system for the detection of antibodies in human serum to WNV derived recombinant antigen (WNRA). WNRA, which can be used as a rapid serological marker for WNV infection, is a recombinant antigen consisting of a stretch of peptides from two WNV antigens. This assay – a two-step capture ELISA – uses a small 4 μL sample volume, has a specificity of 98.4% and a sensitivity of 96.2% and each kit contains reagents for 96 tests. The results are determined by absorbance measurement at 450 nm. Above a certain threshold, the ratio of the absorbances of the WNRA and the control wells accurately determines whether antibodies to WNV are present and a set of positive and negative samples is provided as internal controls in order to monitor the integrity of the kit components. Stored at 2–8 °C, the kit has a shelf life of 12 months.
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