We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
INTEGRA BIOSCIENCES AG

SYSMEX-EUROPA

Sysmex Europe designs and produces laboratory and hematology diagnostic solutions, including instruments, reagents, c... read more Featured Products: More products

Download Mobile App




Cholesterol Test May Help Assess Heart Disease Risk

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 27 Jun 2017
Print article
Researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind rapid assay for measuring effectiveness of a patient’s high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in cleaning up arterial cholesterol. This HDL-C function test could improve risk assessment and diagnosis, and help provide and monitor more personalized treatments for cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients.

While scientists have yet to fully elucidate how HDL-C helps protects against heart disease, one of its chief functions is thought to be mediating the removal of cholesterol from blood vessel walls. Recent studies have indicated that the ability of a patient’s HDL-C to do this – known as its cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) – is a better gauge of CVD development than HDL-C levels on their own. This means, for example, that a patient with low levels of HDL-C but optimal CEC could be protected against heart disease to a greater degree than a patient with high levels of HDL-C but low CEC. However, the current standard research procedures for measuring CEC involve radioisotope-labeled cholesterol and cultured macrophages, making these methods too complex and time-consuming for clinical testing.

In this study, a team of researchers led by Amane Harada, PhD, of Sysmex Corporation (Kobe, Japan) and Ryuji Toh, MD, PhD, of Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine (Kobe, Japan) has developed a test for HDL-C function that is simple enough for clinical use. With a turnaround time of less than 6 hours, the test determines cholesterol uptake capacity (CUC) – the ability of HDL-C to accept additional cholesterol – which the researchers found correlates with CEC but is easier to measure.

They evaluated their CUC test in 156 patients who had undergone revascularization (such as a stent or bypass) due to coronary artery disease and who had subsequently decreased their low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to a healthier level of less than 100 mg/dL. The study found that low CUC in these patients after treatment was significantly associated with the recurrence of coronary lesions. The researchers also determined that combining CUC with established CVD risk factors significantly improved the power of established factors to forecast which patients would redevelop heart disease.

If further trials validate this test, it could enable healthcare providers to use CUC in conjunction with HDL-C levels to better predict who is at risk for CVD onset or recurrence. This test could also be used to develop new treatments that increase CEC and to monitor their efficacy in patients.

“A more efficient enhancement of the atheroprotective functions of HDL may decrease the risk of atherosclerosis and [cardiovascular disease], although it has been difficult to develop therapeutic drugs with the expected effects,” wrote Harada and Toh in this paper, “We consider that this can be explained in part by the lack of a convenient assay system to evaluate HDL functionality without complicated or time-consuming procedures. In this respect, our cholesterol uptake assay provides a concise, accurate, and robust system for high-throughput analysis at low cost.”

The study, by Harada A et al, was published in the May 2017 issue of the Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine.

Related Links:
New
Gold Member
ANA & ENA Screening Assays
ANA and ENA Assays
Antipsychotic TDM AssaysSaladax Antipsychotic Assays
New
Urine Bone Markers Control
Lyphochek Urine Bone Markers Control
New
Sulfidoleukotrienes (sLT) Assay
CAST ELISA

Print article

Channels

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: Heart attacks could be ruled out early with a new test, according to researchers (Photo courtesy of Mindray)

New High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin Test Quickly Rules Out Heart Attack

Patients arriving at an emergency department with symptoms like chest or arm pain, indicative of a potential heart attack, often prefer the comfort of home over a hospital bed—especially if they can be... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: QScout CBC will give a complete blood count in 2 minutes from fingerstick or venous blood (Photo courtesy of Ad Astra Diagnostics)

Next Gen CBC and Sepsis Diagnostic System Targets Faster, Earlier, Easier Results

Every hour is critical in protecting patients from infections, yet there are currently limited tools to assist in early diagnosis before patients reach a hospital. The complete blood count (CBC) is a common... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: An immune response is initiated when an antigen-presenting cell (pink) presents foreign material to a T-cell (blue) (Photo courtesy of JAX)

Advanced Imaging Method Maps Immune Cell Connections to Predict Cancer Patients Survival

A growing tumor is influenced not only by the tumor cells themselves but also by the surrounding tissue, which alters its biology. Immune cells communicate by transferring vital signaling proteins to their... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: The InfectoSynovia test has the potential to revolutionize the diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

High-Accuracy Bedside Test to Diagnose Periprosthetic Joint Infection in Five Minutes

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) represents a significant global issue that is worsening as the number of joint replacements increases due to aging populations. In the United States alone, the anticipated... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: LMU’s Professor Frederick Klauschen developed the novel approach that can improve diagnostic accuracy (Photo courtesy of LMU Munich)

AI Tool Uses Imaging Data to Detect Less Frequent GI Diseases

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already being utilized in various medical fields, demonstrating significant potential in aiding doctors in diagnosing diseases through imaging data. However, training AI... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.