Evaluation of passive smoking by measuring urinary trans, trans-muconic acid and exhaled carbon monoxide levels.
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No method has yet been established to evaluate the exposure to tobacco smoke in passive smoking (PS). We therefore conducted a study on the possibility that the levels of urinary trans, trans-muconic acid (MA) and the exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) could be indices of the passive exposure to tobacco smoke. The moderate correlation was observed between urinary MA levels and the number of consumed cigarettes per day in smokers. The mean urinary MA level of the PS (+) group was significantly higher than that with the PS (-) group. Among the PS (+) group, the mean MA level in the urine obtained in the afternoon was higher than that obtained in the morning. A high correlation was observed between the exhaled CO levels and the number of consumed cigarettes per day in smokers. Like the urinary MA level, the mean exhaled CO level in the PS (+) group, too, gave a significantly higher level than in the PS (-) group. Because the biological half life of MA (7.5 +/- 0.85 h) was longer than that of CO (3.0 +/- 0.36 h), the measurement of urinary MA level is recommended for evaluating the exposure of passive smoking. The measurement of exhaled CO levels is useful only for chain smokers and nonsmokers with PS just before measurement. (+info)
Analyte comparisons between 2 clinical chemistry analyzers.
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The purpose of this study was to assess agreement between a wet reagent and a dry reagent analyzer. Thirteen analytes (albumin, globulin, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, amylase, urea nitrogen, calcium, cholesterol, creatinine, glucose, potassium, total bilirubin, and total protein) for both canine and feline serum were evaluated. Concordance correlations, linear regression, and plots of difference against mean were used to analyze the data. Concordance correlations were excellent for 8 of 13 analytes (r > or = 0.90); the correlations for albumin, potassium, and calcium were clinically unreliable. The linear regression analysis revealed that several analytes had slopes significantly different from unity, which was likely related to methodological differences. Compared to the wet reagent analyzer, the dry reagent analyzer showed excellent agreement for alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, amylase (feline), urea nitrogen, cholesterol, creatinine, glucose, total bilirubin (canine), and total protein. However, it showed only slight to substantial agreement for amylase (canine), calcium, albumin, potassium, and total bilirubin (feline). (+info)
Urinary tract toxicity in rats following administration of beta 3-adrenoceptor agonists.
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ZD7114, [(S)-4-[2-(2-hydroxy-3 phenoxypropylamine)ethoxy]-N-(2-methoxyethyl) phenoxyacetamide], and ZD2079, [(R)-N-(2-[4- (carboxymethyl)phenoxy]ethyl)-N-(beta-hydroxyphenethyl)ammonium chloride], are beta 3-adrenoceptor stimulants with selectivity for brown adipose tissue. ZD7144 is the hydrochloride salt of the S-enantiomer of the racemic amide ZD2079. They were developed as potential novel treatments for obesity and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Male and female rats were dosed separately by gavage for a minimum of 28 days with 0, 10, 50, and 500 mg/kg/day of ZD7114 or with 0, 10, 30, and 150 mg/kg/day of ZD2079. Two further groups of male and female rats were dosed with 0 and 500 mg/kg/day of ZD7114 for 28 days and were then allowed a 6-wk, undosed withdrawal period. At high doses, both compounds caused urinary tract toxicity, which primarily affected the distal tubules and collecting ducts of the kidney via tubular necrosis. They also caused ureteric inflammation, cystitis, and accumulation of crystalline inclusions throughout the urinary tract. As a result of urinary tract toxicity, affected animals from one or both studies showed reduced red blood cell indices, lower platelet counts, and higher white cell counts. Blood chemistry revealed lower plasma concentrations of glucose (7.28 +/- 1.37 compared to 8.11 +/- 0.65 for the control) and total protein (63.42 +/- 3.65 compared to 69.17 +/- 3.24 for the control) and increased plasma urea (37.15 +/- 19.96 compared to 8.09 +/- 0.87 for the control). Urinalysis showed an increase in the number of crystals, blood, and protein. In the urinary tract, the severe crystalluria with accumulation of crystalline material indicated that this may have a role in the etiology of the target organ toxicity. Poor solubility of the compounds at normal urinary pH was considered a possible mechanism for the crystalluria. (+info)
Determination of the urinary benzene metabolites S-phenylmercapturic acid and trans,trans-muconic acid by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.
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To investigate how various levels of exposure affect the metabolic activation pathways of benzene in humans and to examine the relationship between urinary metabolites and other biological markers, we have developed a sensitive and specific liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric assay for simultaneous quantitation of urinary S-phenylmercapturic acid (S-PMA) and trans,trans-muconic acid (t,t-MA). The assay involves spiking urine samples with [13C6]S-PMA and [13C6]t,t-MA as internal standards and clean up of samples by solid-phase extraction with subsequent analysis by liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry-selected reaction monitoring (LC-ES-MS/MS-SRM) in the negative ionization mode. The efficacy of this assay was evaluated in human urine specimens from smokers and non-smokers as the benzene-exposed and non-exposed groups. The coefficient of variation of runs on different days (n = 8) for S-PMA was 7% for the sample containing 9.4 microg S-PMA/l urine, that for t,t-MA was 10% for samples containing 0.07 mg t,t-MA/l urine. The mean levels of urinary S-PMA and t,t-MA in smokers were 1.9-fold (P = 0.02) and 2.1-fold (P = 0.03) higher than those in non-smokers. The mean urinary concentration (+/-SE) was 9.1 +/- 1.7 microg S-PMA/g creatinine [median 5.8 microg/g, ranging from not detectable (1 out of 28) to 33.4 microg/g] among smokers. In non-smokers' urine the mean concentration was 4.8 +/- 1.1 microg S-PMA/g creatinine (median 3.6 microg/g, ranging from 1.0 to 19.6 microg/g). For t,t-MA in smokers' urine the mean (+/-SE) was 0.15 +/- 0.03 mg/g creatinine (median 0.11 mg/ g, ranging from 0.005 to 0.34 mg/g); the corresponding mean value for t,t-MA concentration in non-smokers' urine was 0.07 +/- 0.02 mg/g creatinine [median 0.03 mg/g, ranging from undetectable (1 out of 18) to 0.48 mg/g]. There was a correlation between S-PMA and t,t-MA after logarithmic transformation (r = 0.41, P = 0.005, n = 46). (+info)
A two-year study of microscopic urinalysis competency using the urinalysis-review computer program.
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BACKGROUND: The microscopic examination of urine sediment is one of the most commonly performed microscope-based laboratory tests, but despite its widespread use, there has been no detailed study of the competency of medical technologists in performing this test. One reason for this is the lack of an effective competency assessment tool that can be applied uniformly across an institution. METHODS: This study describes the development and implementation of a computer program, Urinalysis-ReviewTM, which periodically tests competency in microscopic urinalysis and then summarizes individual and group test results. In this study, eight Urinalysis-Review exams were administered over 2 years to medical technologists (mean, 58 technologists per exam; range, 44-77) at our academic medical center. The eight exams contained 80 test questions, consisting of 72 structure identification questions and 8 quantification questions. The 72 structure questions required the identification of 134 urine sediment structures consisting of 63 examples of cells, 25 of casts, 18 of normal crystals, 8 of abnormal crystals, and 20 of organisms or artifacts. RESULTS: Overall, the medical technologists correctly identified 84% of cells, 72% of casts, 79% of normal crystals, 65% of abnormal crystals, and 81% of organisms and artifacts, and correctly answered 89% of the quantification questions. The results are probably a slight underestimate of competency because the images were analyzed without the knowledge of urine chemistry results. CONCLUSIONS: The study shows the feasibility of using a computer program for competency assessment in the clinical laboratory. In addition, the study establishes baseline measurements of competency that other laboratories can use for comparison, and which we will use in future studies that measure the effect of continuing education efforts in microscopic urinalysis. (+info)
Influence of sex on clinical features, laboratory findings, and complications of typhoid fever.
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Clinical features, laboratory findings, and complications of typhoid fever were correlated with sex through a retrospective case note review of 102 hospitalized culture-positive patients in Durban, South Africa. Intestinal perforation (P = 0.04), occult blood losses in stools (P = 0.04), and a mild reticulocytosis in the absence of hemolysis (P = 0.02) occurred more frequently in males than in females. A single pretreatment Widal O antibody titer > or = 1:640 was also a statistically significant occurrence in males (P = 0. 006). Female patients were significantly more severely ill (P = 0.0004) on admission and had chest signs consistent with bronchopneumonia (P = 0.04), transverse myelitis (P = 0.04), abnormal liver function test results (P = 0.0003), and abnormal findings in urinalyses (P = 0.02). Typhoid hepatitis (P = 0.04) and glomerulonephritis (P = 0.02) were present significantly more frequently in females. Whether these differences were due to differences in host's immune response to acute infection need to be determined in a prospective study. (+info)
Improved cleanup and determination of dialkyl phosphates in the urine of children exposed to organophosphorus insecticides.
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Analysis of dialkylphosphate urinary metabolites of organophosphorus insecticides has been used to estimate dose in nonoccupationally exposed populations, including children. Analytical methods must continue to be improved in order to accurately and reproducibly measure less than 10 ng/mL of these metabolites. Dialkyl phosphates are commonly determined as their pentafluorobenzyl bromide derivatives via gas chromatography (GC) with flame photometric detection. Presented here is an improved method for precleanup of urine using solid-phase extraction, followed by derivatization and GC analysis. The method includes the quantitative determination of the following dialkyl phosphate metabolites: dimethylphosphate, diethylphosphate, dimethylthiophosphate, diethylthiophosphate, and dimethyldithiophosphate. Additional cleanup of urine samples allows for increasing sample size and improving sensitivity while minimizing interferences and variability associated with derivatization. Sample aliquot size was 5 mL with limits of quantitation of 10 ng/mL of urine for dimethylphosphate and diethylphosphate and 2 ng/mL of urine for dimethylthiophosphate, diethylthiophosphate, and dimethyldithiophosphate. This level of method sensitivity allows for quantitative determination of trace dialkyl phosphates in approximately 75% of individuals in nonoccupationally exposed populations. This streamlined method increases sample throughput, provides a clean extract for analysis, and requires no custom glassware. (+info)
Direct semiquantitative screening of drugs of abuse in serum and whole blood by means of CEDIA DAU urine immunoassays.
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The purpose of this study was to test the direct applicability of CEDIA DAU urine immunoassays to serum or whole blood. The performance of the urine assays for sensitive screening of amphetamines (AMP), benzoylecgonine (BZE), benzodiazepines (BENZ), methadone (MET), opiates (OPI), and tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (THCCOOH) was evaluated on the BM/Hitachi 911 analyzer with unpretreated serum and whole blood. The limit of detection was 0 ng/mL for all tests. Cutoff values were set from 10 to 40 ng/mL for the different assays. The assays were found to be linear between the following concentrations: AMP 0-2500 ng/mL, BZE 0-1200 ng/mL, BENZ 0-1600 ng/mL, MET 0-600 ng/mL, OPI 0-720 ng/mL, and THCCOOH 24-60 ng/mL. Precision results (within run) for different concentrations were as follows: AMP 3.1-5.7%, BZE 2.4-6.6%, BENZ 4.3-8.0%, MET 2.0-5.5%, OPI 2.8-7.6%, and THCCOOH 1.4-2.4%. Between-run results were as follows: AMP 8.7-15.5%, BZE 6.4-7.5%, BENZ 8.2-15.8%, MET 2.7-5.1%, OPI 4.3-11.2%, and THCCOOH 2.6-7.4%. Sensitivity, specificity, and comparison of CEDIA semiquantitation with GC-MS quantitative results were performed on 500 original serum and whole blood samples. The data provided sufficient documentation to use the CEDIA urine-screening technique without any adaptation as a sensitive serum/whole blood screening for BZE, BENZ, MET, OPI, and THCCOOH. Serum screening for amphetamines is not sensitive enough in the unchanged urine mode. It will require some adaptation to a serum mode (probably a higher sample volume [BM/Hitachi 911] combined with protein precipitation of the sample). (+info)