Hot Topic

In this month’s “Hot Topic,” Sean Pittock, M.D., explains Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD) and the critical importance of a sensitive and specific AQP4-IgG laboratory test for early diagnosis and treatment.

This is a 6-part series describing the products and clinical tools of a laboratory quality improvement project called Region 4 Stork, or R4S.

In this month’s “Hot Topic,” Joaquín J. García, M.D., highlights the value of Mayo Clinic’s Pathology Consultation practice and provides guidance for optimizing the consult experience with Mayo Clinic Laboratories.

In this month’s “Hot Topic,” Andrew McKeon, M.B., B.Ch., M.D., reviews the use of neurological phenotype-based evaluations, the move away from the paraneoplastic evaluation, and upcoming changes to test profiles.

In this month’s “Hot Topic,” Paul Jannetto, Ph.D., discusses the use of qualitative urine screening assays and quantitative confirmatory testing to determine compliance in pain management patients.

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

In this month’s Hot Topic, Robin Patel, M.D., discusses Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ new PCR assay for detection of Helicobacter pylori detection and determination of clarithromycin resistance directly from stool.

In this month’s “Hot Topic,” Julia Lehman, M.D., discusses serologic testing for Celiac Disease in patients with IgA deficiency.

In this month’s “Hot Topic,” Brad Karon, M.D., Ph.D., will provide you with an overview of the potential differences in potassium levels that may occur when testing capillary blood versus a venous sample.

In this month’s “Hot Topic,” Gessi Pino, a genetic counselor in the Biochemical Genetics Lab at Mayo Clinic, and Kimiyo Raymond, M.D., a clinical consultant in the laboratory and an expert in Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation (CDG), discuss glycosylation and its importance in human biology, highlight laboratory testing, and offer strategies to screen and diagnose CDGs.

In this month’s “Hot Topic,” John Mills, Ph.D., explains the central role of tissue immunofluorescence in the identification of neural antibodies and discusses the benefits of an integrated laboratory approach to the development and validation of novel antibody biomarkers.

In this month’s “Hot Topic,” Anja Roden, M.D., will discuss the role of PD-L1 interaction in the immune system, challenges with PD-L1 testing, and current PD-L1 testing in Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma (NSCLC).