MCL

The diagnosis of mitochondrial disease can be particularly challenging as the presentation can occur at any age, involve virtually any organ system, and be associated with widely varying severities. Due to the considerable overlap in the clinical phenotypes of various mitochondrial disorders, it is often difficult to distinguish these specific inherited disorders without genetic testing.

The exponential increase in the number of diagnostic tests available to physicians (in dermatopathology as well as other medical specialties) can be overwhelming, according to a new multi-institutional study co-published in the Journal of Cutaneous Pathology and Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Joshua Bornhorst, Ph.D., gives an overview of the new Copeptin test available through Mayo Clinic Laboratories. He discusses when this testing should be ordered, how this testing improves upon previous testing approaches, and what clinical action can be taken due to the results of this testing.

In this month’s “Hot Topic,” Rajiv Pruthi, M.B.B.S., will discuss different types of hemophilia along with their pathologic basis. He will also cover various types of factor assays such as one stage and chromogenic factor assays for diagnosis and their role in management of hemophilia.

In the fall of 2017, Shayla Polanchek, a recent recipient of a heart transplant at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, returned to campus to review the specimen of her old heart, the one that had been removed from her chest. She had asked to be reunited one last time with the organ that, though flawed, had kept her alive for 38 years.

Jeffrey (Jeff) Meeusen, Ph.D., gives an overview of the new nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) lipoprotein profile available through Mayo Clinic Laboratories. He discusses when this testing should be ordered, how this testing improves upon previous testing approaches, and what clinical action can be taken due to the results of this testing.

Nikola Baumann, Ph.D., gives an overview of the new NASH-FibroTest available through Mayo Clinic Laboratories. She discusses when this testing should be ordered, how this testing improves upon previous testing approaches, and what clinical action can be taken due to the results of this testing.

Autoimmune neurological disorders can often be treated, sometimes with full restoration of function. However, because the symptoms mimic other conditions, autoimmune neurological disorders are frequently misdiagnosed, resulting in an irreversible loss of function.

A movement disorder might be caused by the body’s immune system, which is meant to fight infections, suddenly attacking the brain. Fortunately, an “autoimmune movement disorder” can often be treated—once its cause is discovered.

After a long wait, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has finally approved the Elecsys Troponin T Gen 5 STAT blood test. Recently, the Beckman hscTnI assay was also approved. These high-sensitivity troponin assays will benefit emergency departments across the country because the results will allow for earlier and faster recognition of acute myocardial infarction, which interrupts the blood supply to an area of the heart.

Mayo Medical Laboratories, the global reference laboratory of Mayo Clinic, has changed its name to Mayo Clinic Laboratories.

Effective November 9, 2018, our business name will change from Mayo Collaborative Services, LLC, doing business as (d/b/a) Mayo Medical Laboratories to Mayo Collaborative Services, LLC, d/b/a Mayo Clinic Laboratories. The change to Mayo Clinic Laboratories will more accurately reflect the benefit we are able to bring to our clients every day.

Necrotizing autoimmune myopathy (NAM) is a serious but rare muscle disease strongly associated with autoantibodies to either the protein signal recognition particle (SRP) or the enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR). NAM typically manifests with subacute proximal limb muscle weakness and persistently elevated serum creatine kinase (CK) concentrations, but slower onsets can occur and complicate diagnosis.