MCL

Flu season is just now unfolding. But this time, it’s piggy-backed with a pandemic, which threatens to spike with the colder weather as people huddle indoors. Adding to this conundrum is the unsettling fact that, for both COVID-19 and the flu, the symptoms overlap.

In September 2020, Mayo Clinic Laboratories announced one new test along with numerous reference value changes, obsolete tests, and algorithm changes.

In August 2020, Mayo Clinic Laboratories announced five new tests along with numerous reference value changes, obsolete tests, and algorithm changes.

The results are part of a comprehensive study of 16,175 cases performed at Mayo Clinic over an 11-year period.

One of the biggest misunderstandings about genetic testing is a perception that once a variant is identified and analyzed thoroughly, using all the best tools available, it can be associated with a specific disease or condition. But many mutations are deemed “variants of unknown significance,” meaning there is no reported (or insufficient) evidence as to whether or not they cause disease.

Due to the Labor Day holiday (recognized on Monday, September 7), Mayo Clinic Laboratories' specimen pickup and delivery schedules will be altered. To ensure that your specimen vitality and turnaround times are not affected.

Horatiu Olteanu, M.D., Ph.D., gives an overview of the new T-cell receptor (TCR) β-chain constant region (TRBC1) flow cytometry marker, which is now included in Mayo Clinic Laboratories' routine diagnostic T-cell flow cytometry panel. He discusses when this testing should be ordered, how the addition of TCRBC1 compares to previous testing approaches, and how this marker can assist ordering physicians.

In the last decade or so, genetic testing has evolved from single-gene Sanger based assays to much more complex next-generation sequencing (NGS) based assays. This incredible technology has facilitated the rapid and high-throughput evaluation of many genes (hundreds of thousands of DNA strands) all at once.

In June 2020, Mayo Clinic Laboratories announced three new tests along with numerous reference value changes, obsolete tests, and algorithm changes.

In this month’s “Hot Topic,” Paul Jannetto, Ph.D., discusses the high-resolution targeted opioid screening test from Mayo Clinic Laboratories, which offers sensitivity and specificity for use in the monitoring and management of patients who are prescribed opioid pain-relieving medication.

Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I) is a rare genetic disorder that typically presents with progressive multisystem involvement in early childhood. This condition results from the deficiency of the enzyme, alpha-L-iduronidase (IDUA), which is responsible for breaking down complex sugars called glycosaminoglycans (GAGs).

The mayocliniclabs.com website is being updated with a more streamlined header that provides additional space for the most frequently used content. In addition to the slimmer header, the primary changes include moving the website search function and the contact link to the right of the menu.

In May 2020, Mayo Clinic Laboratories announced three new tests along with numerous reference value changes, obsolete tests, and algorithm changes.