Non-enzymatic glycation and aggregation of camel immunoglobulins induce breast cancer cell proliferation.

Glycation of biomolecules results in the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Immunoglobulin G (IgG) has been implicated in the progression of various diseases, including diabetes and cancer. This study purified three IgG subclasses (IgG1, IgG2, and IgG3) from Camelus dromedarius colostrum using ammonium sulfate fractionation and chromatographic procedures. SDS-PAGE was performed to confirm the purity and molecular weight of the IgG subclasses. Several biochemical and biophysical techniques were employed to study the effect of glycation on camel IgG using methylglyoxal (MGO), a dicarbonyl sugar. Early glycation measurement showed an increase in the fructosamine content by ~four-fold in IgG2, ~two-fold in IgG3, and a slight rise in IgG1. AGEs were observed in all classes of IgGs with maximum hyperchromicity (96.6%) in IgG2. Furthermore, glycation-induced oxidation of IgGs led to an increase in carbonyl content and loss of -SH groups. Among subclass, IgG2 showed the highest (39.7%) increase in carbonyl content accompanied by 82.5% decrease in -SH groups. Far UV-CD analysis illustrated perturbation of ß-sheet structure during glycation reaction with MGO. Moreover, glycation of IgG proceeds to various conformational states like aggregation and increased hydrophobicity. In addition, the cytotoxicity assay (MTT) illustrated the proliferation of breast cancer cells (MCF-7) with IgG2 treatment.

Metabolomics Profiling of Nephrotic Syndrome towards Biomarker Discovery.

Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is a kidney illness characterized by excessive proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, edema, and hyperlipidemia, which may lead to kidney failure and necessitate renal transplantation. End-stage renal disease, cardiovascular issues, and mortality are much more common in those with NS. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify potential new biomarkers associated with the pathogenesis and diagnosis of NS. The liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) metabolomics approach was applied to profile the metabolome of human serum of patients with NS. A total of 176 metabolites were significantly altered in NS compared to the control. Arginine, proline, and tryptophan metabolism; arginine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis were the most common metabolic pathways dysregulated in NS. Furthermore, alanyl-lysine and isoleucyl-threonine had the highest discrimination between NS and healthy groups. The candidate biomarkers may lead to understanding the possible metabolic alterations associated with NS and serve as potential diagnostic biomarkers.

Dystrophin Protein Quantification as a Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Diagnostic Biomarker in Dried Blood Spots Using Multiple Reaction Monitoring Tandem Mass Spectrometry: A Preliminary Study.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive disorder characterized by progressive muscle loss, leading to difficulties in movement. Mutations in the DMD gene that code for the protein dystrophin are responsible for the development of DMD disorder, where the synthesis of this protein is completely halted. Therefore, circulating dystrophin protein could be a promising biomarker of DMD disease. Current methods for diagnosing DMD have sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility limitations. Herein, a quantitative liquid chromatography-tandem spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) technique in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode was designed and validated for accurate dystrophin protein measurement in a dried blood spot (DBS). The method was successfully validated on the basis of international guidelines regarding calibration curves, precision, and accuracy. In addition, patients and healthy controls were used to test the amount of dystrophin protein circulating in DBS samples as a potential biomarker for DMD disorders. DMD patients were found to have considerably lower levels than controls. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report dystrophin levels in DBS through LC-MS/MS as a diagnostic marker for DMD to the proposed MRM method, providing a highly specific and sensitive approach to dystrophin quantification in a DBS that can be applied in DMD screening.

-2548G>A LEP Polymorphism Is Positively Associated with Increased Leptin and Glucose Levels in Obese Saudi Patients Irrespective of Blood Pressure Status

Background and Objectives: In this study, we aimed to investigate the link between common -2548G>A (rs7799039) promoter variant of the human leptin gene (LEP) with leptin and serum glucose leptin levels in obese Saudi patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 206 Saudi adults (80 obese normotensive nondiabetics, 76 obese hypertensive with Type 2 Diabetes and 50 normotensive nondiabetic controls) were genotyped for -2548G>A LEP polymorphism using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment-length polymorphism technique. Results: Participants with minor AA genotype had significantly higher blood glucose levels (6.8 ± 0.55 mmol/L vs. 5.8 ± 0.30 mmol/L; p < 0.04) and HOMA-IR (4.1 ± 0.84 vs. 2.6 ± 0.67; p = 0.03) against those carrying major GG genotype. Participants with heterozygous GA genotype had significantly higher serum leptin levels against those carrying major GG genotype (40.0 ± 2.6 ng/mL vs. 29.6 ± 2.6 ng/mL; p = 0.04). Further investigation showed that individuals with AA, GA, GA + AA genotypes are at greater risk of developing hyperglycemia compared to those with GG genotype [OR 3.7(1.6−8.4), p = 0.001; 3.2 (1.2−8.6), p = 0.03; 3.5 (1.6−7.7), p = 0.001, respectively]. Additionally, the -2548AA allele was shown to be a risk factor for hyperglycemia [OR 1.9 (1.2−3.0), p = 0.006]. Our data revealed no relationship between this variant of the LEP gene with systolic and diastolic BP, signifying that this genetic variant is not a significant marker of obesity and hypertension in the Saudi population. Conclusions: AA and GA genotypes and LEP gene -2548AA alleles may signify potent risk factors predisposing healthy individuals to develop T2DM regardless of blood-pressure profile.

Level of Knowledge and Awareness of Female Undergraduate Students and Determinants of Knowledge of Folic Acid and Supplementation.

Background and Objectives: Folic acid (FA) is a necessary ingredient for numerous bodily activities including pregnancy. Because of this, women should have knowledge and awareness of the health benefits of FA supplementation. Thus, we aimed to investigate the level of knowledge on the importance of FA and determine associated factors for knowledge among female college students at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Material and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using a questionnaire between January 2020 and February 2021 among female college students aged 17 to 26 years old. The questionnaire adapted with permission from Alnaami et al. included questions on the demographic profile of the participants as well as questions related to their knowledge and awareness of FA, FA supplementation, the importance of supplementation and their sources of knowledge of FA. Results: A total of 437 female undergraduate students participated in the study, 285 (65.2%) of whom were from the non-health colleges and 152 (34.8%) from the health colleges. The majority of participants were between ages 17 and 21 years old (n = 361, 82.6%). Half of the respondents were in their 3rd and 4th year of study (n = 122, 50.8%), 138 respondents (31.6%) were married, and 111 of these married women (80.4%) had children. There were 266 respondents (61.0%) who had heard and had knowledge of FA, 241 (55.3%) knew of FA timing of intake, 243 (55.7%) of FA duration of intake and 362 (83.0%) knew of the diseases prevented by FA supplementation. Linear regression analysis showed that being in the health college (B = 1.464, t = 11.37, p < 0.001, 95% CI = 1.211, 1.717) and a higher educational year level (B = 0.139, t = 2.442, p = 0.015, 95% CI = 0.027, 0.251) were the significant predictors of knowledge of FA. Conclusions: Knowledge of FA and FA supplementation was low at 61% considering that our study population were college students. Being enrolled in a health college and in a higher educational year level were significant positive correlates of higher knowledge of FA and FA supplementation. Despite this, there exists a gap of information regarding FA and FA supplementation particularly among single women and college educated women in the early years of their college life as well as those in non-health colleges.

Phenotypic and molecular spectrum of pyridoxamine-5'-phosphate oxidase deficiency: A scoping review of 87 cases of pyridoxamine-5'-phosphate oxidase deficiency.

Pyridoxamine-5'-phosphate oxidase (PNPO) deficiency is an autosomal recessive pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-vitamin-responsive epileptic encephalopathy. The emerging feature of PNPO deficiency is the occurrence of refractory seizures in the first year of life. Pre-maturity and fetal distress, combined with neonatal seizures, are other associated key characteristics. The phenotype results from a dependency of PLP which regulates several enzymes in the body. We present the phenotypic and genotypic spectrum of (PNPO) deficiency based on a literature review (2002-2020) of reports (n = 33) of patients with confirmed PNPO deficiency (n = 87). All patients who received PLP (n = 36) showed a clinical response, with a complete dramatic PLP response with seizure cessation observed in 61% of patients. In spite of effective seizure control with PLP, approximately 56% of patients affected with PLP-dependent epilepsy suffer developmental delay/intellectual disability. There is no diagnostic biomarker, and molecular testing required for diagnosis. However, we noted that cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) PLP was low in 81%, CSF glycine was high in 80% and urinary vanillactic acid was high in 91% of the cases. We observed only a weak correlation between the severity of PNPO protein disruption and disease outcomes, indicating the importance of other factors, including seizure onset and time of therapy initiation. We found that pre-maturity, the delay in initiation of PLP therapy and early onset of seizures correlate with a poor neurocognitive outcome. Given the amenability of PNPO to PLP therapy for seizure control, early diagnosis is essential.

Comprehensive metabolomics analysis reveals novel biomarkers and pathways in falsely suspected glutaric aciduria Type-1 newborns.

BACKGROUND: Glutaric aciduria type-1 (GA-1) is a rare metabolic disorder due to glutaryl coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency, causing elevated levels of glutaryl-CoA and its derivatives. GA-1 exhibits symptoms like macrocephaly, developmental delays, and movement disorders. Timely diagnosis through genetic testing and newborn screening is crucial. However, in some cases, transiently elevated level of glutarylcarnitine (C5DC) challenges accurate diagnosis, highlighting the need for alternative diagnostic methods, like mass spectrometry-based untargeted metabolomics, to identify additional biomarkers for distinguishing falsely suspected GA-1 from healthy newborns. METHODOLOGY: DBS samples from falsely suspected GA-1 newborns (n = 47) and matched control were collected through the NBS program. Untargeted metabolomics using liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) was performed to enable biomarker and pathway investigations for significantly altered metabolites. RESULTS: 582 and 546 were up- and down-regulated metabolites in transient GA-1. 155 endogenous metabolites displayed significant variations compared to the control group. Furthermore, our data identified novel altered metabolic biomarkers, such as N-palmitoylcysteine, heptacarboxyporphyrin, 3-hydroxylinoleoylcarnitine, and monoacylglyceride (MG) (0:0/20:1/0:0), along with perturbed metabolic pathways like sphingolipid and thiamine metabolism associated with the transient elevated C5DC levels in DBS samples. CONCLUSIONS: A distinct metabolic pattern linked to the transient C5DC elevation in newborns was reported to enhance the prediction of the falsely positive cases, which could help avoiding unnecessary medical treatments and minimizing the financial burdens in the health sector.

Lung Ultrasonography Accuracy for Diagnosis of Adult Pneumonia: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Pneumonia is a ubiquitous health condition with severe outcomes. The advancement of ultrasonography techniques allows its application in evaluating pulmonary diseases, providing safer and accessible bedside therapeutic decisions compared to chest X-ray and chest computed tomography (CT) scan. Because of its aforementioned benefits, we aimed to confirm the diagnostic accuracy of lung ultrasound (LUS) for pneumonia in adults. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed of Medline, Cochrane and Crossref, independently by two authors. The selection of studies proceeded based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria without restrictions to particular study designs, language or publication dates and was followed by data extraction. The gold standard reference in the included studies was chest X-ray/CT scan or both. RESULTS: Twenty-nine (29) studies containing 6702 participants were included in our meta-analysis. Pooled sensitivity, specificity and PPV were 92% (95% CI: 91-93%), 94% (95% CI: 94 to 95%) and 93% (95% CI: 89 to 96%), respectively. Pooled positive and negative likelihood ratios were 16 (95% CI: 14 to 19) and 0.08 (95% CI: 0.07 to 0.09). The area under the ROC curve of LUS was 0. 9712. CONCLUSIONS: LUS has high diagnostic accuracy in adult pneumonia. Its contribution could form an optimistic clue in future updates considering this condition.

Gramine Exerts Cytoprotective Effects and Antioxidant Properties Against H2O2-Induced Oxidative Stress in HEK 293 Cells.

Oxidative stress caused due to the perturbations in the oxidant-antioxidant system can damage molecules and cause cellular alteration leading to the pathogenesis of multiple diseases. This study was designed and performed to investigate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of an alkaloid, gramine on H2O2-induced oxidative stress on HEK 293 cells. Cell viability and morphometric analysis of cells treated with H2O2 and gramine were studied. Oxidative stress and inflammatory and antioxidant enzymes such as ROS, LPO, NO, SOD, GSH, and CAT were analyzed. Furthermore, mRNA expression of SOD, CAT, and COX-2 was also evaluated. H2O2 at concentration > 0.3 mM and gramine at concentration > 80 µg/mL affect the proliferation. Viability and morphometric analysis showed that gramine has protective effects. Treating cells with gramine suppressed oxidative stress and inflammatory enzymes, whereas antioxidant enzymes were enhanced. SOD and CAT mRNA levels were overexpressed and COX-2 mRNA levels were decreased in the treated groups. Gramine possesses effective antioxidant potential and can regulate oxidative stress and damages associated with it.

Prevalence of Chemosensitive Neurological Disorders of Smell and Taste and Association with Blood Groups in SARS-CoV-2 Patients: Cross-Sectional Study.

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a highly challenging and threatening situation worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 patients develop various clinical symptoms. The olfactory and taste dysfunctions are potential neurological manifestations among SARS-CoV-2 patients; however, their relationship with blood groups has rarely been investigated. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of chemosensitive neurological disorders of smell and taste and their association with blood groups in SARS-CoV-2 patients. The present cross-sectional study was performed in the Department of Pathology, and Physiology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A well-structured, self-administered questionnaire was designed and distributed through social media platforms. A total of 922 Saudi and non-Saudi adults aged 18 years or older participated in the study. Out of 922 participants, the number of people who had anosmia was 309 (33.5%), 211 (22.9%) had hyposmia, and 45 (4.8%) had dysosmia. Moreover, 180 (19.52%) had ageusia, 47 (5.1%) and 293 (31.8%) had hypogeusia and dysgeusia, respectively. Among all the participants, 565 (61.27%) had smell-related disorders and 520 (56.39%) participants had taste-related clinical symptoms. The occurrence of anosmia and ageusia was relatively high among females compared to males (p = 0.024). The prevalence of smell-related disorders was 25.0% (230) and taste-related disorders was 23.21% (214) among the study participants with blood group O compared to all other blood group (A, B, and AB) participants who have smell allied disorders 30.69% (283), and taste allied disorders 27.98% (258). The prevalence of chemosensitive neurological disorders involving impaired smell and taste was higher in SARS-CoV-2 patients. These clinical symptoms were common among the participants with blood group type O compared to all other ABO blood group types. The role of certain demographic characteristics was consistent throughout multiple studies, notably with female gender and young adults.

Metabolomics profiling distinctively identified end-stage renal disease patients from chronic kidney disease patients.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a serious public health problem characterized by progressive kidney function loss leading to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) that demands dialysis or kidney transplantation. Early detection can prevent or delay progression to ESRD. The study aimed to gain new insights into the perturbed biochemical reactions and to identify novel distinct biomarkers between ESRD and CKD. Serum samples of 32 patients with ESRD (n = 13) and CKD (n = 19) were analyzed using chemical isotope labeling liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolomics approach. A total of 193 metabolites were significantly altered in ESRD compared to CKD and were mainly involved in aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) biosynthesis, taurine metabolism, and tryptophan metabolism. Three kynurenine derivatives, namely, 2-aminobenzoic acid, xanthurenic acid, and hydroxypicolinic acid were upregulated in ESRD compared to CKD due to the significant decrease in glomerular filtration rate with the progression of CKD to ESRD. N-Hydroxy-isoleucine, 2-aminobenzoic acid, and picolinic acid yielded AUC > 0.99 when analyzed using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis. Our findings suggest that inhibiting the kynurenine pathway might be a promising target to delay CKD progression and that metabolites with high discriminative ability might serve as potential prognostic biomarkers to monitor the progression of CKD to ESRD or used in combination with current markers to indicate the status of kidney damage better.

Metabolic Alteration of MCF-7 Cells upon Indirect Exposure to E. coli Secretome: A Model of Studying the Microbiota Effect on Human Breast Tissue.

According to studies, the microbiome may contribute to the emergence and spread of breast cancer. E. coli is one of the Enterobacteriaceae family recently found to be present as part of the breast tissue microbiota. In this study, we focused on the effect of E. coli secretome free of cells on MCF-7 metabolism. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) metabolomics was used to study the E. coli secretome and its role in MCF-7 intra- and extracellular metabolites. A comparison was made between secretome-exposed cells and unexposed controls. Our analysis revealed significant alterations in 31 intracellular and 55 extracellular metabolites following secretome exposure. Several metabolic pathways, including lactate, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, purine metabolism, and energy metabolism, were found to be dysregulated upon E. coli secretome exposure. E. coli can alter the breast cancer cells' metabolism through its secretome which disrupts key metabolic pathways of MCF-7 cells. These microbial metabolites from the secretome hold promise as biomarkers of drug resistance or innovative approaches for cancer treatment, either as standalone therapies or in combination with other medicines.

The Roles and Pathogenesis Mechanisms of a Number of Micronutrients in the Prevention and/or Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis, COVID-19 and Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus.

A trace element is a chemical element with a concentration (or other measures of an amount) that is very low. The essential TEs, such as copper (Cu), selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe) and the electrolyte magnesium (Mg) are among the most commonly studied micronutrients. Each element has been shown to play a distinctive role in human health, and TEs, such as iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu), are among the essential elements required for the organisms' well-being as they play crucial roles in several metabolic pathways where they act as enzyme co-factors, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents. Epidemics of infectious diseases are becoming more frequent and spread at a faster pace around the world, which has resulted in major impacts on the economy and health systems. Different trace elements have been reported to have substantial roles in the pathogenesis of viral infections. Micronutrients have been proposed in various studies as determinants of liver disorders, COVID-19 and T2DM risks. This review article sheds light on the roles and mechanisms of micronutrients in the pathogenesis and prevention of chronic hepatitis B, C and E, as well as Coronavirus-19 infection and type-2 diabetes mellitus. An update on the status of the aforementioned micronutrients in pre-clinical and clinical settings is also briefly summarized.

CFTR protein quantification as a cystic fibrosis diagnostic biomarker in dried blood spots using multiple reaction monitoring tandem mass spectrometry.

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a chloride channel found on the apical surface of epithelial cells in the airway and gastrointestinal tract. A mutation in the CFTR protein is responsible for developing cystic fibrosis (CF) disease. Therefore, circulating CFTR protein could be a promising biomarker of CF disease. Multiple methodological challenges are associated with CF's available diagnostic and screening methods, such as low specificity and potential false discovery rate, mainly for ethnic groups whose CFTR mutations are not covered in the mutation panels. Herein, we have developed an absolute quantification (AQUA) method based on two CFTR signature peptides (SPs). A liquid chromatography-tandem spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode (MRM transitions 1168.90 > 85.929 and 707.19 > 85.93 of SP1 and SP2, respectively) enabled the accurate quantification of CFTR protein in a dried blood spot (DBS). The method was validated successfully based on international guidelines in terms of signal linearity, precision (within-run CV 3.37-8.54%; between-run CV 5.15-11.06% for the selected SPs), and accuracy (within-run 93.4-105.59%; between-run 97.45-103.28% for the selected SPs). The level of soluble CFTR protein was evaluated as a potential biomarker for CF using patients (n = 39) and healthy controls (n = 30), were found to be in CF patients lower than controls. For instant, the level of signature peptide 1 (SP1) was 2.09 ± 0.55 nM, 68.77 ± 1.40 nM in CF patients compared to Ctrl, respectively; p < 0.0001. This study is the first to report CFTR levels in DBS using signature peptides by LC-MS/MS as a diagnostic marker for CF. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) for CFTR SP1 and SP2 showed a significant area under the curves (AUC) 0.7714 (99% CI, p < 0.0001), and 0.8234 (99% CI, p < 0.0001), respectively. The presented MRM method provides a highly specific and sensitive approach to CFTR quantification in a DBS and could be applied in CF screening.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perception towards COVID-19 among Medical Students in Yemen: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Numerous measures have been taken to slow the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) rapid spread. Such population control techniques may have a substantial impact on people's attitudes, knowledge, and perception of COVID-19. This web-based cross-sectional survey aimed to assess Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) towards COVID-19 among Hadhramout University Medical Students in Yemen from 15 June to 26 June 2020. This survey was performed using social media via the Google Platform among 422 Hadhramout University Medical students. After consenting, participants completed an online survey assessing sociodemographic data, 21 knowledge items, 15 attitudes items, and 5 perception items towards COVID-19. Of the total 422 participants, 389 (92.18%) were surveyed online, and 256 (65.8%) were females, and 133 (34.2%) were males aged 19-24 years (88.7%), studying medicine (58.9%), and living in urban areas (80.7%). The survey revealed that 64.0% of participants had good knowledge about the disease and 52.7% had positive attitudes towards protective measures against the virus. The majority of participants (98.2%) thought that the virus was transmitted through nasal droplets, and 59.6% agreed that the disease is dangerous. The majority of participants agreed that fever (99.2%), dry cough (97.9%), and difficulty breathing (99.5%) are the most common symptoms of the disease. The survey also showed high knowledge levels about preventive measures against the virus spreading, such as regular proper hand hygiene (99.7%), maintaining an appropriate distance (99.2%), avoiding touching eyes and nose (98.7%), and wearing facemasks in public places (97.4%). Moreover, 69.7% of participants agreed to be isolated at home if they got an infected person, 64.3% implemented washing hands with soap and water, 41.9% agreed to be separated at the hospital until they proved free from the disease, 46.0% agreed to inform the health authorities if they had any symptoms associated with the disease. By using sample T-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA), mean knowledge score about COVID-19 was significantly higher in males than in females (p = 0.029). Additionally, medicine students had significantly higher mean knowledge score than students of medical laboratory (p < 0.001) and nursing (p = 0.008). In general, our research revealed that participants had favorable opinions regarding the disease's preventative measures and a good awareness of it. However, more educational initiatives and campaigns that take into account KAP modifying elements are needed.

A Comparative Study for Measuring Serum Ferritin Levels with Three Different Laboratory Methods: Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay versus Cobas e411 and Cobas Integra 400 Methods.

Different laboratory methods are used to measure serum ferritin levels as a marker of iron status in the general population. This study aimed to compare serum ferritin levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) versus immunochemiluminescence (Cobas e411) and immunoturbidimetric (Cobas Integra 400) methods in terms of sensitivity, specificity and accuracy, and whether they can be used interchangeably. A comparative cross-sectional study enrolled one hundred and six adult Yemeni patients (33 males and 73 females) aged 18-55 years, recruited from the dermatology and cosmetic center of Hadhramout Modern Hospital, Mukalla, Yemen. Serum ferritin levels were measured using ELISA, Cobas e411, and Cobas Integra 400 methods. For method comparison, a paired-sample t-test was used. For the consistency between the three methods, they were analyzed with regression and Pearson correlation coefficient. For determining accuracy, a receiver operating curve (ROC) was used. Bias error between the methods was determined through a Bland-Altman plot analysis. Our results did not show any significant statistical difference between ELISA and Cobas e411 (52.55 ± 7.4 µg/L vs. 52.58 ± 7.5 µg/L, p = 0.967), while there were significantly higher values from Cobas Integra 400 results than Cobas e411 (56.31 ± 7.8 µg/L vs. 52.58 ± 7.5 µg/L, p < 0.001) and ELISA (52.55 ± 7.4 µg/L vs. 56.31 ± 7.8 µg/L, p < 0.001). According to the correlation coefficient and linear regression analysis, a strong association between ELISA with Cobas e411 (r = 0.993, p < 0.001) and Cobas Integra 400 results (r = 0.994, p < 0.001) were revealed. For determining accuracy, Cobas e411 and Cobas Integra 400 results showed higher sensitivity (92.0%; 90.0%) and specificity (97.7%; 99.9%) respectively. Additionally, the Bland-Altman plot analysis showed a high agreement between the ELISA and Cobas e411 methods (bias: -0.035). In contrast, there was a low agreement between the ELISA and Cobas Integra 400 methods (bias: -3.75). Similarly, the agreement between Cobas e411 and Cobas Integra 400 methods was low (bias: -3.72). Serum ferritin levels were measured by Cobas e411, and Cobas Integra 400 methods were strongly correlated with the ELISA results, with higher sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. However, further investigations with larger samples are required for improved accuracy and more precise results, and to determine whether they can be used interchangeably.

Phenylketonuria: A new look at an old topic, advances in laboratory diagnosis, and therapeutic strategies.

Disorders of protein metabolism are the most common diseases among discovered inherited metabolic disorders. Phenylketonuria (PKU), a relatively common disorder that is responsive to treatment, is an inherited autosomal recessive disorder caused by a deficiency in phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) or one of several enzymes mediating biosynthesis or regeneration of the PAH cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin. The objective of this review is to discuss therapeutic strategies that have recently emerged for curing patients with PKU, which have demonstrated promising improvements in managing these patients. Data sourcing included a systematic literature review of PubMed with a focus on emerging knowledge pertaining to this well-studied disease. Recent advances in laboratory diagnosis and therapeutic strategies were described. Collectively, promising and rapid enhancements in neonatal diagnostic technologies and recently emerged therapeutic strategies are paving the way for early diagnosis and treating many inborn errors of metabolism, such as PKU.