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R M Ras

Publications and source records attributed to R M Ras.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Effect of conditions in obtaining blood samples for ECP testing in children.

Eosinophil Cationic Protein (ECP) is a basic protein found in eosinophil granules. This cell and its mediators are currently considered to be potential indicators of the severity of inflammation in the organism. ECP concentration can be reliably tested using several RIA or ELISA methods. It is well known that the conditions of sample obtention can affect the ECP values in blood. The aim of this study is to establish which parameters affect ECP testing during regular blood sample collection and how they affect it. Blood samples taken for the routine study of five children attended in our department were analysed: four were asthmatic and one child had atopic dermatitis. In the results we observed that ECP was not detected in the blood samples taken with EDTA tripotassium. In both the plasma samples taken with heparin as well as with serum, more ECP was released at a higher temperature. In the release of ECP obtained by coagulation, samples at 37 degrees showed values of between 4 and 20 higher than those obtained for an hour at 0 degrees. There is a considerable variability in the testing of ECP depending on the blood test extraction conditions, the range is bigger in the samples with eosinophils. These results imply the need to define a stricter protocol for obtaining samples than that suggested at present.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

[Reference values for vitamin B12 in blood in a population of children and one of adults using the IMxRB12 method].

UNLABELLED: In this study we have performed the reference values of vitamin B12 of a population of 124 children aged 0-18 years and 42 adults aged 19-55 years, assessed by the recent method IMxR B12. Abbott. The population studied included outpatients, some inpatients and groups of subjects undergoing banal examinations in the Hospital Universitario Materno-Infantil of Barcelona. STATISTICS: Data were first tested for goodness-of-fit gaussian distribution by a nonparametric test, by testing skewness and kurtosis coefficients for significance and by Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The correlation with the age groups was evaluated with Student's-t-test. RESULTS: We show the histograms of the data obtained and a nonparametric approach selecting the central 95th percentile range. Reference limits (5-95th percentile range) were as follows: Premature infants = 365-1568 ng/L; 1-3 years = 345-1154 ng/L; 4-6 years = 330-1236 ng/L; 7-11 years = 312-1237 ng/L; 12-18 years = 328-1185 ng/L; Adults (19-55 years) = 300-964 ng/L. There were no significant differences between both sexes. The goodness-of-fit test for a gaussian distribution showed no departure from normality except for the groups of children 12-18 years old. A simple linear regression analysis showed that age significantly affected the concentration in inverse way. CONCLUSIONS: The importance of establishing the reference values of vitamin B12 lies in the relevance of this serum analyte to some pathophysiological conditions. Considerable racial heterogeneity exists in populations, and these racial differences profoundly affect total values of vitamin B12 so that different racial reference limits have been suggested.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Specific IgE determination using the CAP system: comparative evaluation with RAST.

The CAP system's main contribution is its solid phase, which consists of a cellulose polymer activated within a capsule (the ImmunoCAP). This solid phase can bind more protein to it, and, in addition, the conditions of reaction seem to make the system more sensitive at detecting antibodies to certain antigens. It is therefore important to assess the new analytical and diagnostic performance in comparison with previous systems. In this context, we studied the reliability and comparison with the RAST and with skin tests carried out on 144 pediatric patients. Skin tests and specific IgE for radioimmunological RAST (radio-allergosorbent test) and for the fluoroimmunological CAP system were performed on all the patients. The RAST/CAP correlation quotients for the different allergens tested varied between 0.971 and 0.991. Diagnostic sensitivity increased for all the allergens studied and specificity remained unchanged. The system provides reliable results, with better diagnostic capacity than RAST, but it must be quantified for each allergen because its results are not interchangeable.

Adolescent↗