Testing

Beginning Jan. 26, all air travelers entering the U.S. from other countries will need a negative COVID-19 test result before they can board their flights.

Puanani Hopson, D.O., a Mayo Clinic pediatric gastroenterologist, explains the pancreatic elastase test — a screening test that can be useful when symptoms point to the possibility of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Dr. Hopson reviews when this test should be ordered, how it compares to other test options, and how its results can guide further evaluation.

With the rise of next generation sequencing (NGS) technology, multigene panel testing is expanding so rapidly that clinical practice is racing to keep pace. And questions within genetic tests have expanded along with it, making definitive answers more challenging to come by. Experts in the Genomics Laboratory in Mayo Clinic's Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology work to explain this often misunderstood technology.

Dendritic cells play a crucial role in the body's immune response. Research has shown that too few of these cells in the blood may signal a defect in innate immunity. Up to this point, however, no clinical test has been available to count dendritic cells.

The following list includes updates posted to mayocliniclabs.com during the month of December.

Xinjie Xu, Ph.D., co-director of Mayo's Genetics and Genomics Laboratory, explains Mayo Clinic Laboratories' updated approach to testing for risk stratification of patients newly diagnosed with plasma cell proliferative disorders, such as multiple myeloma. Based on recently published data, the new testing algorithms focus on use of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) panels, rather than chromosome studies.

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

The following list includes updates posted to mayocliniclabs.com during the month of November

Joshua Bornhorst, Ph.D., associate director of Mayo Clinic's Clinical Immunoassay Lab, explains how humans can develop an allergy to the alpha-gal molecule, and he describes a new allergen antibody test that can be used to detect it. Dr. Bornhorst also reviews other tests that should be used in conjunction with alpha-gal testing to accurately identify the scope and underlying cause of the allergy.

Dr. Patel, director of Mayo Clinic's Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory, discussed the future of testing for joint and bone infections.

The following list includes updates posted to mayocliniclabs.com during the month of October.

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

Min Shi, M.D., Ph.D., a hematologist and co-director of Mayo Clinic's Flow Cytometry Laboratory, explains recent updates to the B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia minimal residual disease flow cytometry assay. This test is used to identify minimal residual disease in patients with a previously confirmed diagnosis of B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia who have completed chemotherapy, immunotherapy or bone marrow transplantation.