Ever wanted to learn more about the effects of cannabis on driving? Or which new blood and urine analytes show promise in detecting long-term exposure to ethanol? What about an in-depth analysis that discusses the growing list of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) approved for use in treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)?
Get a subscription to Clinical & Forensic Toxicology News, an AACC/College of American Pathologists (CAP) educational newsletter for toxicology laboratories and individuals with an interest in toxicology, and find out about these developments and more.
The publication is an educational service of the Forensic Urine Drug Testing Accreditation Program co-sponsored by AACC and CAP. The goal is to offer practical and timely information on forensics and other clinical, regulatory, and technical issues of importance to toxicology laboratories.
Labs in the Forensic Urine Drug Testing Accreditation Program subscribe to CFTN as part of this program—but anyone with an interest in this topic is welcome to subscribe. Pick up an issue and read about the latest news on federal workplace testing guidelines on urine and oral fluids or on hair testing for illicit drugs.
The March issue delves into effects of levamisole, a well-known adulterant of cocaine, and its ability to cause painful skin ulcers. This article goes into great detail about the adverse effects of cocaine-associated levamisole toxicity, and what labs found in a case study of a 47-year-old African-American male who presented with dark skin lesions. “Patients who present with cutaneous manifestations of necrosis or vasculitis, immunologic evidence of autoantibodies, agranulocytosis, and cocaine abuse should be evaluated for levamisole toxicity by urine analysis and skin biopsy to avoid unnecessary tests and delayed diagnosis,” the article stated.
Another featured story in the March issue by Uttam Garg, PhD, of Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics and the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine in Missouri, discusses the dangerous new cathinone that most hospital assays can’t detect.
Last December, CFTN’s lead article discussed the fast-growing class of pharmaceuticals known as mAbs or biologics and the types being used to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This in-depth analysis discussed the structure and metabolism of biologics, how they’re administered, and their role as an IBD therapy. The article also listed the biologics that have been approved for IBD therapy, using infliximab as an example to summarize the methods in which labs measure biologics and the challenges associated with each method.
In June, 2015, CFTN featured a story that describes the various methods for measuring ethanol, and how some of the newer markers have shown potential in detecting consumption over short time periods. Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is an analyte effective at detecting chronic heavy drinking and urinary markers like ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulfate are able to detect ethanol in just a week’s time.
AACC members pay just $45 annually, and regular subscriptions are available for $65. Subscribe online or email or call AACC Customer Service (at 800.892.1400 or 202.857.0717) for more information or to subscribe.