Issue

Serology tests that detect SARS-CoV-2 virus antibodies (immunoglobulin A/G/M) have proliferated as society looks for ways to relax quarantine restrictions. Such tests might help track community spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus and determine whether plasma donated by patients who have recovered from COVID-19, the illness caused by SARS-CoV-2, could help still…

A next-generation sequencing test that analyzes methyl group arrangements in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from cancer cells found more than 50 cancers at different stages—and was particularly astute in detecting more advanced stages of disease.

Very few patients with resistant hypertension who meet criteria for primary aldosteronism (PA) are getting screened for this condition. This underscores the need to boost guideline-recommended screening and targeted therapies, according to the authors of a study published in Hypertension.

A study in Clinical Chemistry calls into question the link between osteoporotic fractures and low vitamin D levels. While the researchers found an association between low plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D and fractures, a Mendelian randomization analysis revealed no causal role for this marker in fracture risk.

Point-of-care tests (POCT) are growing in demand, but quality concerns remain despite available standards and practice guidelines. A survey of POCT users revealed a number of key needs: instruments that facilitate rapid, automatic, quality-ensured POCT results, and more insight and guidance on the entire testing process, including result interpretation.

A high-resolution melting analysis-based test (HRM) shows promise as a rapid, inexpensive screening tool for recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Tested on more than 700 products-of-conception (POC) samples, HRM showed high sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV), and also improved cost-effectiveness when used in conjunction with other tests.